Twittering Songbird
by Monochromatic Kiss
Summary: Uchiha Itachi, heir to the Uchiha clan and shinobi prodigy, and Amaterasu, skilled poet and a very energetic but shy child, form a powerful bond at a young age, one that will follow them throughout their lives and bring nothing but sorrow in the end.
1. Chapter 1

Crowded streets brought little comfort to a young and lost child as she struggled to make her way through the throng of people, wanting only to lose herself in the sea of laughter and reach her home. It was the night the Uchiha clan would let their guards down and would mingle with the residents of Konoha without the restrictions of etiquette or formalities.

Among the ranks of the police force stood Uchiha Fugaku and his eldest son Itachi, both standing proudly beside the woman of the house and a young and very excited Sasuke. Mikoto smiled and waved at the passing women and children, greeting many by name happily as they exchanged the latest gossip. Itachi's eyes wandered over the crowd and eventually settled on the small figure of a girl around his age who was weaving through the crowd with much difficulty, her dark hair dully reflecting the light from the lanterns as evening wore on and day gave way to night. He watched her small form disappear into the growing shadows until his father's hand fell to his shoulder and forced him to put on a strained smile as the unofficial festival wore on and the girl eventually left his mind.

The girl eventually found herself at her door and opened the door, ignoring the creaking hinges as she pushed and forced it open. Empty rooms were filled with the ghosts of the past, the hollow laughs that she could hardly recall seeming to echo loudly and forcing the girl to blink quickly to stop the flow of tears. She found herself debating whether or not to mingle with the other villagers and ended up losing herself in thought, cutting her hand with a kitchen knife and causing her eyes to water once more. Her mother's shy smile seemed to taunt her as she entered the small bathroom while searching for antiseptic and bandages, its warmth lost in the fading photos on the walls. "Make sure to clean it well, and don't wrap the bandages too tightly; you don't want to cut off circulation," she would've said after scolding her for not being more careful. Her father would laugh and tell his wife to be more compassionate for their injured baby girl, talking about how she would sustain much worse when she became a ninja. That had always been their plan for the girl; she would become a shinobi and protect the village, making them proud. It had never bothered them that she did not have the best scores in the class, nor were they concerned when she would come home after a failed physical exam; she was making the effort and that was more than enough to the couple.

The day she received notice that they had been killed in a battle with skilled rogue shinobi was the day she quit the academy and began pursuing other interests for her future. The third hokage had been kind and understanding towards her, recognizing the lack of will to fight and the burning intelligence in her dark blue eyes. She worked hard for him, running the simplest of errands and helping to organize his paperwork until he found the one thing that she took absolute interest in: writing. As she expanded her vocabulary, the girl began to take on heavy writing assignments ranging from poetic works to inspire the future shinobi to short stories for the local paper. Her polite tone and pleasant voice made her easy to work with to all adults but rarely allowed her to mingle with children her own age and that would often cause her to feel lonely when she would pass the parks and sweet shops filled with children laughing together. Amaterasu, one who illuminates the heavens, was the only name she knew and that was more than enough to enrage her. The only thing she could do was write pretty poems that were so completely generic that all of society accepted them, and that was doing nothing regarding illumination.

The days following the festival were uneventful for the girl until she received word that she was to give a short speech at the Uchiha compound for a fallen clan member. As she thought about the life of a shinobi and how short his was, Amaterasu found her heart was aching for the stranger and his abandoned family. The day of his memorial, she appeared before a startled crowd of mourning Uchiha wearing her black kimono embroidered with golden koi fish and her light hair neatly straightened. Itachi recognized her as the girl he had seen walking alone at the festival and found his curiosity aroused, if only a bit. Her young pink lips parted as she spoke of the sacrifice and loyalty the man had felt towards his clan and village, spinning a tale of honorable beauty around the average young man and moving the clan to tears. At the end of her poetic speech, Mikoto hugged her gently and smiled kindly at the young girl. Amaterasu smiled back and began to leave the gathering only to be stopped by a hand on her arm, startling the child. She turned around and was surprised to see the young Uchiha prodigy clutching her arm and staring at her intently.

"Can I help you, Uchiha-san?" Itachi watched her silently as he tried to recall where he had known this girl from before the festival. "You are not a shinobi, yet I remember knowing you at some point in my life; who are you?" he asked bluntly.

Amaterasu smiled kindly at him as she felt her chest constrict, the butterflies rising as they always did when he talked to her. "We went to the academy together for a while before you were moved ahead and I dropped out. You sat next to me and we would talk when the teacher wasn't paying attention." Itachi nodded, vaguely recalling a toothy smile accompanied by bright eyes. "Ama, I remember you now," he smiled gently at the girl, his eyes softening considerably as his grip loosened. Unbeknownst to the duo, Mikoto and Fugaku were watching the pair from a short distance, a smile tugging at even Fugaku's lips as his son talked to the girl. Ama smiled at the young heir kindly, her eyes brightening considerably as they exchanged kind words. The world slowed down for the two children as the former friends connected emotionally once more.

"I saw you at the festival, but you were alone and leaving the celebration; why?"  
Ama smiled sadly at the older boy, wringing her hands together nervously before she looked away, her answer nearly incoherent. "I have no one to see at social gatherings anymore, no one to come home to. My mother and father were casualties in a failed mission, Uchiha-san." Itachi tousled her hair gently, much like he would Sasuke and smiled kindly at the sad girl. "Why don't you join us for dinner sometime, Ama? And don't call me Uchiha-san, there's no need to be formal with me."

"Okay, Tachi-kun," she smiled teasingly at him as she poked his cheek, forcing him to glare mockingly at her and causing the clan members who were watching the exchange to smile. Beneath the fading sunlight and lost in a sea of solemn faces, a powerful and life-long bond was formed, one that would end the life of one and bring color to another. Their's was a beauty formed by shattered remains.


	2. Chapter 2

Strangely distant obsidian eyes met the intelligent aquamarine eyes, their depths seeming to shine with amusement as they watched the girl trip as she exited the market. Amaterasu glared at the Uchiha prodigy playfully as he chuckled at her clumsiness. "I haven't seen you in several years, yet now I can't seem to avoid you," he commented casually as he helped the young girl to her feet. Ama smiled as she bent over and picked up the fallen produce while checking for any new bruising on the fruits. "Do you wish to avoid me?" she asked curiously, bowing her head in thanks as he handed her a missed apple. "Quite the opposite right now, actually; mother wants you to join us for supper tonight, if you're willing," Itachi replied as he slowly pulled his hand away from hers.

Amaterasu smiled back and thought for a moment before answering, "I'd love to, but I have to get home to feed a baby bird first. You're more than welcome to join me, 'Tachi-kun." Itachi blinked in surprise before nodding his head in agreement. The two headed away from the Uchiha compound and towards the small appartment she called home, traveling in a comfortable silence as Itachi enjoyed one of the few moments during which he was able to be a young child and not a prodigy or shinobi or worse yet, the heir to the Uchiha clan. "What do you give a baby bird?" he finally asked, his curiosity getting the better of him. "Moist dog or cat kibble usually; it's a common misconception that they can have bread or worms and it's dangerous to give them water."

"Why?" Ama smiled at the boy as she thought of the simplest way to explain the reason. "Well... they'll drown. It's not often that I find a young bird that was actually abandoned, but this was one of those cases. Young birds often leave their nests before they can fly; one or more of their parents will watch over them until they can fend for themselves, sort of like human parents. When I do find one, I raise it and release it back into the wild. This one is a baby blue jay!" she finished excitedly as they neared her home, causing Itachi to chuckle. "Do you always help abandoned animals?" The girl nodded happily, beaming at the memories of young and old animals alike that she had helped over the years.

"Absolutely! Weak, injured, abandoned, or even simply old animals that I want to help in their final days are always welcome in my home. I've never kept one though; my landlord only puts up with what I do because I'm an orphan with no parents to tell me no and I don't make my home their permanent residence. Someday I'm going to move into a nice big home and paint it blue and I'll have a desk and a nice cushioned chair and I'll have a cat and a fox and a pony and a bird and..." Ama rambled on happily, almost forgetting the boy was with her. The young Uchiha listened to the young girl and found he had rekindled his fondness for the child; she was so good natured and energetic that she had always put him into a pleasant mood.

They entered her home and removed their shoes as she began to twitter in a manner similar to a blue jay, startling Itachi and forcing him to swallow a laugh as a small bird popped around a corner and hopped towards them. It stopped and stared suspiciously at the stranger with the kind girl it had come to see as its protector, though he did not see its expression. Ama whistled at it again and bent down so that it could jump on her finger. "Itachi, this is Peak; Peak, this is Itachi," she introduced them as she walked into her humble kitchen to retrieve some dog food. Itachi murmured a soft greeting as he took in the small apartment. "I remember you used to live somewhere nicer and closer to the compound," he told the girl. "I did, but the elders moved me to this apartment after my parents died; they said I didn't need much space and I wouldn't need all of our furniture. I think it was sold to pay part of the funeral off since Papa made all of it from very nice wood," Ama added as an afterthought. Itachi caught sight of her small smile and felt his chest twist painfully for the child. She twittered lovingly at the bird before setting it down on a makeshift stand and standing, only to find it fluttering in an attempt to follow her. Itachi chuckled at the sight and gently picked it up before placing it in her cupped hands.

"It wouldn't hurt to take it with us; mother loves birds and my little brother would love to see a baby bird that isn't dead," he explained as she stared at him questioningly. "Well, if you're sure it's okay..." "Doesn't take much to convince you, does it?"

"Nope. Let's go!" Ama grinned at the boy as she held the young bird gently.

The trio was a sight to behold as they entered the compound; after all, it was rare that Itachi would bring anyone home with him, and it was unheard of for that someone to be a girl. Mikoto gushed over the baby bird and Sasuke stared at Amaterasu as though she were a goddess who had tamed a wild beast. Fugaku watched the girl with cold eyes as she bowed respectfully to him, causing his wife to shoot a glare at him. The raven haired woman flitted about like a doting mother as she offered the girl a cup of tea and some biscuits while she finished dinner. Ama gratefully took the tea and hid her distaste as she sipped the bitter beverage, much to the delight of the Uchiha woman who remained completely ignorant of the girl's preferance of juice and milk.

Itachi sat next to the girl as he listened to the two females chatter over seemingly nothing, bonding in a manner similar to a mother and daughter. "You're a writer right? Is that the only way you get by?" Itachi asked as everyone began eating their meal. Mikoto and Fugaku's eyes flickered over to the girl with interest, waiting patiently for her answer. "Sometimes, but I usually do odd jobs around the village too, and I like to carve stuff. I carve canes and build boxes and chests during the summer to help with the bills. I sold a table I'd built once, but I'm still learning about making them beautiful; there's something that dad used to do while curing the wood that would give the finished product an unparalleled shine, but I haven't figured it out yet," Ama replied politely while trying to resist simply cramming the meal down her throat and enjoying another plate.

The internal struggle did not go unnoticed by Mikoto, who had already realized the girl knew more about a man's place in the household than she did of a woman's and made note to ask her about it someday. The dinner passed peacefully as Sasuke inquired about the animals she had rescued in the past, especially interested in her tale of a playful young squirrel and fox pair she had nurtured back to health simultaneously. "Yes, I released those two a little over three months ago, though I think they stayed in the area around the gates for a good month before they finally wandered off." "How did you get started in your little hobby of helping animals?" Fugaku asked, surprising everyone around the table and earning a beaming smile from Mikoto. Ama smiled at him as she thought back.

"I brought home a bunny once; dad's dog had mauled it and it was almost dead, but I thought that maybe my mama could help it just like she had helped me when I scraped my knees; that maybe she could put it's body back together. I was covered in its blood when I got home, which terrified my parents. Papa nearly killed his dog when he thought it had attacked me, but I'm glad he didn't. Mama did her best to help it, but the poor bunny died in my arms, which broke my heart... I had already named it Hopper and had begun dreaming of the adventures we would have together. After that, every time I found a hurt or abandoned animal I would bring it home and nurture it."

Fugaku nodded as he recalled the girl's parents and their prized ninja dog, a pup of one of the Inzukuba's own shinobi canines they had been given after saving a clan girl's life during a B-ranked mission. They finished supper in silence and Mikoto ushered Itachi and Ama out of the kitchen as she insisted that they should play outside instead of wasting time inside. The two objected but finally admitted defeat and went outside, followed by a young Sasuke who had the little bird perched on his fingers.

"Will you be a vet someday?" Itachi asked the girl as they began to approach the target practice area much to the delight of his younger brother. Ama seemed to consider his question thoughtfully, her eyes twinkling with delight. "Maybe I will someday, but I don't know; Mama and Papa wanted me to be a ninja but maybe I will become a doctor instead; healing jutsu is useful no matter what, and that would satisfy them, I think," she finally replied. They chattered away happily as they reached the center of the Uchiha compound where the targets were kept and would have continued were it not for a teenage Uchiha approaching them, his eyes full of malice directed towards the non-Uchiha girl.

He grabbed her by the collar of her shirt and snarled something into her ears, sending her into full panic mode. Itachi glared at the young man and positioned himself between them, preparing to fight back on her behalf. The elder boy launched himself angrily at the younger, who easily blocked the attack and returned it with a dangerously powerful punch of his own. The two sparred for several minutes, though Itachi thought the boy to be lacking of any refined skill, but the fight was soon broken up by the adults of the clan.

"What's going on?" Fugaku demanded of his eldest son as he approached the small group of children, his eyes narrowed dangerously. "Shisui attacked Ama, father. I stepped between them to prevent any dishonor upon our clan; after all, she is not a shinobi and it would be a disgrace to our name to harm an innocent citizen who was unaware that she was going to be attacked and unable to defend herself even if she had been." Fugaku nodded and turned to Shisui, who glared angrily at his younger cousin. "Why did you attack her?" "She is the daughter of scum, Fugaku-sama."

Hey everbody! Hope you're enjoying my story so far! I love the Uchiha tragedy and the young Martyr who is Itachi and thought that I would write a short story for him. I just want to say that the rabbit story actually happened, though I forget my age at the time of its occurence. I love rescuing animals; I've saved two dogs, four cats, a robin and yes, a blue jay that I named Peak. Currently one of my rescued friends is curled up in an arm chair with me. Miss Soot is almost a year old now! Any way, you're going to find that Amaterasu's mood and even personality fluctuates, a result of a trama that will be explained later on in the story. The pre-massacre arc won't last too long, but it will be very important to the post-massacre arc. I know I have the genres down as romance and friendship, but there will be a lot of angst in the story as well, so prepare yourselves! That's all from me tonight, so bye!


	3. Chapter 3

'She couldn't help but marvel at the beauty of the landscape far below her; nothing could compare to the sense of ease she felt in her solitude. The sky was clear and dark, lit only by the dancing, shimmering lights of the moon and stars, a pathway of crystal blue more pure in color than the loveliest of gems gracefully cutting through the near black. Tamiko lifted her frail hand and reached for the heavens as though a star would fall into her open palm and grace her with its ethereal light. Waves crashed against the shoreline and the girl watched as the water swallowed boulders whole, then gently released them as a child would a firefly. The child smiled an innocent smile as the dark water mirrored the night perfectly and found her mind wandering to the great depths, curious to see if the ocean floor would reflect the land despite the danger it would pose to a child of man. Perhaps she would venture forth and allow the water to caress her skin as it did the sand, but no, she couldn't allow that; the world needed a warrior of the air now more than ever. If she were to sacrifice herself in such a manner, she-'

"Would disgrace her name and send the people of her country into a war that could not be won by the hands of a mortal?" Itachi read aloud as he watched his friend write. "What are you writing Ama?" The girl stuck her tongue out at her friend, masking her surprise at the sudden and unexpected company with the poor manners of childhood. Itachi had grown into a handsome young man, now ten years old and very successful in his career as a shinobi just as she had managed to remain unnoticed by the masses of Konoha despite being a popular poet and journalist in the village. "I'm writing my first novel; it's about a land in turmoil as two countries go to war over the depleting unclaimed territories and the resources they house. Tamiko is a member of a clan that produces compassionate kunoichi who utilize two elements in their purest forms to defend their homelands. She is the last known member capable of using her chakra, but she doesn't have the heart of a warrior, so she's always trying to avoid battles," Amaterasu explained to the young Uchiha as she prepared a pot of tea for the two of them. Within the past two years the girl had gotten used to her friend's unannounced visits.

After the incident with Shisui, Ama had been reluctant to go near the Uchiha compound. The boy had apologized to the girl, albeit rather reluctantly, and they had eventually come to the mutual agreement that Itachi would be the only reason they would interact with one another. Itachi accepted that his two friends would probably never get along and so rarely asked them to spend time together, instead enjoying the company and therefore separate interests of both children. Shisui was an Uchiha and a shinobi at heart, so he easily understood his cousin's silence. Ama was a girl with simple interests and a knack for knowing just what was on his mind and would act accordingly, whether it would mean their visits were totally silent with her relaxing with him or the two of them enjoying some sweets from a favorite shop and teasing one another.

This would be a rare occasion during which Itachi would show interest in the younger girl's writing career and even brainstorm ideas with the child. Itachi smiled as she stood and stretched her long arms, her limbs sore from a recent growth spurt that had made the girl a full two inches taller than the boy. "You're taller now. When I left, you were only a fraction of an inch taller than me," he stated simply as he touched her straight hair, noting the softness to it and wondering what had changed since they had parted ways only two months previous. Before he had left, she was a dear friend, a girl with nothing remarkable about her aside from her incredible imagination, yet now there seemed to be a new light to her aqua eyes, a depth that was unfathomable and unattainable to the average man. "Did anything... happen while I was on my mission, Ama?" he asked after a brief silence during which he had sipped his tea and the girl had continued to write.

Amaterasu shook her head, a nearly transparent smile gracing her pale lips. "No, nothing that is worth troubling you with." Itachi's fist clenched in irritation as these words left her mouth. "What happened Amaterasu?" Ama stared down at her sheet of paper, the pen no longer moving against the grainy surface. "I dreamt of you," she paused before continuing."And of our futures. I dreamt of a place far away where no shinobi are needed and the lords and ladies of the lands rule fairly. It made me want to hold onto that dream and share it with the world, so I started writing this novel. There will be so much going into it, but I always feel sad when it's time to stop writing. I know it sounds silly to hold something so ridiculous so dear, but I do." The young Uchiha smiled kindly at his friend as he patted her hand gently. "Don't feel ashamed or silly of such a dream; I want nothing more than peace for our village as well, but to achieve that dream we must all work as a team to attain and keep peace," Itachi said quietly as he finished the last of his tea and put the china cup in the sink.

"I should get home and let my clan know that I have returned safely. Keep writing your story. I want to read more when we have time like this again." Ama smiled and nodded, emptying the contents of her cup in a single gulp and grinned at Itachi. "Bye 'Tachi, it's good to have you home again," she said warmly as she approached her friend. Itachi stiffened as the girl wrapped her arms around him in a gentle hug before he patted her back awkwardly. Ama watched her friend leave sadly, no longer basking in the warmth of his company and no longer feeling the gentle embrace of her imagination, recognizing the end of her creative period for a short while. She washed the dishes and cleaned up the small mess she had made while brewing the tea. It had been a long two months without her only friend and though she had seen Mikoto and Sasuke a few times, the girl had not had much social interaction recently, so having the boy back was a relief to the child.

She returned to the table and laid her head down, fighting tears that had no right to fall as she felt her loneliness escalate, fighting the self-pity she felt for having no one to go home to, and the resentment she felt towards Itachi for having just that. Though it had been several years since the loss of her family, the depression remained with her and only worstened as time went by and the village elders neglected her and her landlord began to scare the child. "Dirty, useless, worthless, selfish girl," she said bitterly as the tears welled in her eyes, unaware of Itachi's presence in her home once more as he had forgotten his Anbu mask on her counter. The boy had been startled by the sharp intakes of breath as his friend struggled to get her emotions under control and left, making note to return later when she was done pitying herself and retrieve his mask. Itachi walked home slowly, playing the hateful words over in his mind as he approached the compound. He greeted the members of his clan that he knew saw him and entered his house quietly, removing his shoes and entering the kitchen directly after.

"Itachi, I'm glad you're home safe and sound. Your brother has been jittery all day you know- What's wrong?" Uchiha Mikoto asked her son as he nodded his head sullenly. In a rare moment of childish tendencies, Itachi told his mother what had transpired in Ama's kitchen when she thought he had left and the woman listened intently, feeling her heart swell for the foresaken girl. "Why?" was all her son had to ask when he finished explaining for Mikoto to know that he was asking what caused the normally cheerful Amaterasu to break down when she had seemed fine minutes before. "Itachi, you know she has no family or friends aside from you; that poor child has been to hell and back again when it involves emotional turmoil, so she's definitely depressed. Remember, Amaterasu doesn't have the heart of a kunoichi, the capability to accept what has happened easily and live to fight. Shinobi live to protect the village and uphold the will of fire, but she lives only because she fears death. Keep this in mind and treat her with compassion."

Itachi opened his mouth as though he intended to comment, but just then a messy tuft of hair rounded the corner and slammed into his big brother, excitedly hugging him and welcoming the elder Uchiha home. "Hello Sasuke. Have you been good for mother and father?" Sasuke nodded his head, beaming up at his idol happily as Itachi's eyes softened their intense gaze. "Good, then I will play with you later. Mother, may I be excused to bathe and nap for a bit?" he asked politely, relief flooding through him as Mikoto nodded in acceptance. He thanked her and left, turning the water as hot as his body could stand comfortably before indulging in the warm bath, soaking in the water as he mulled things over in his mind. It had been a long and uncomfortable mission, one that had opened his eyes to the true cruelty of the world. He finished with his bath a while later and laid down, unaware as his mind drifted and he began to fall unconscious that eyes equally as sad as his though different in every other sense were also closing, the owner thinking of her beloved friend who had always been kind to her.

Ama smiled just as Itachi did and dreamt of a great castle far above the clouds, one that housed a very different Uchiha Itachi and her smiling, happy, living parents. She felt like a princess in her slumber, all of her wishes coming true.

Her happiness would not last long for soon, even her dreams would give way to the unpleasantness of reality.

**Hi everybody! Ama sure is different, huh? Sorry for not going into detail about Shisui and that situation, but don't worry! I intend to write him into the next chapter as more than just a cold asshole. Any speculations as to what will happen next? See ya in the next installment of this somewhat unnamed fanfic! Bye!**


	4. Chapter 4

Two dark haired shinobi perched easily in the shade of the ancient trees around them sat in silence, the only noise belonging to the birds and insects around them. Itachi turned to his cousin, their eyes meeting as an unspoken agreement passed between them and the two Uchiha men raced forward suddenly with a single purpose in mind: attack the stranger who was foolish enough to venture into their hidden training camp. Amaterasu screamed as a kunai was placed against her throat viciously, attempting to wrench herself from the grasp of her attacker. Itachi's eyes widened momentarily before his faced returned to its normal impassiveness and Shisui ground his teeth together in irritation.

"Why are you here you stupid girl? This area is dangerous to a civilian, especially an ignorant girl whose head is so stuck in the clouds that she's never seen the world?" The angry young man spat out bitterly, his eyes glaring daggers at Itachi's friend as she brushed a bit of dirt off of her plain black shirt. "I'm here to search for injured animals, Uchiha. And last I checked, this is a public place that welcomes civilian hikers, stupid, so don't you DARE give me crap about being here!" Ama retorted angrily, her normally warm eyes turning cold and reflecting her resentment towards the older boy.

Itachi rubbed the bridge of his nose and patted the girl's back in an attempt to calm her and prevent the adolescent from doing anything stupid. Light filtered through the thick foliage above the unlikely trio, casting long shadows and preventing the group from noticing the storm clouds beginning to roll in as they began to search for any animals in silence. The female listened as the two boys discussed new training techniques and smiled to herself as even Shisui seemed like less of a pretentious asshole and Itachi smiled at her warmly, beckoning her forward as he pointed to a family of foxes playing in a small clearing. Shisui watched the girl intently, taking note of her suddenly peaceful demeanor as she watched the kits roll around and nip at one another and found himself almost growing fond of her friendly smile. Ama noticed him watching her and grinned cheerfully, causing him to give a quiet 'humph' before he resumed his half-hearted glare, though Amaterasu knew that he didn't mean anything by it.

Itachi watched the two and almost found himself growing hopeful that they might become friends, making it easier to spend time with both of them when he didn't have an anbu mission. Soon the trio were attempting to trip one another as they stumbled through the thick underbrush, Ama being the most frequent victim to the rough- albeit friendly- play and the two former adversaries began to laugh and talk with one another, much to Itachi's delight. The sky began to grow dark and the three began to take notice of the growing strength of the wind, causing the two Uchiha to look at one another in worry as the girl continued to push on. "Ama, we should head back home; it's getting too dangerous out here," Itachi began, stopping at the questioning glance the child sent to him. "If you guys want to return to the compound, then be my guests. I, however, refuse to leave here until I have found either an animal or am content with the idea that none are injured at this time," the girl replied coolly. Shisui's eye twitched with irritation as the stubborn girl turned back to her search and he grabbed her arm roughly. "Listen, Itachi's worried about you and dangerous weather is rolling in, so go back home to your stupid books and quit wasting your time and risking your neck in these," a light flashed through the sky, "god-forsaken woods and," a clap of thunder, "stop trying to be a hero, because you're nothing more than a stupid, ignorant little girl!" He finished as the wind screamed angrily, the earth shaking as thunder clapped around them. Lightning danced through the clouds and dirt began to blow into their young eyes, irritating them.

Amaterasu stood as strong as any shinobi however and refused to back down from Shisui's intimidating stare. "You can call me what you want, Uchiha Shisui, and treat me like a child, but do not mistake my love of life for all creatures as stupidity. I refuse to go home right now, but I do advise you to run home before your mommy and daddy start to worry," Ama said coldly, her eyes narrowing as she turned and began to move again. The elder Uchiha scoffed and turned back towards the village, glaring at Itachi. "Whatever. I'm going home now, so if you want to die out here then be my guest. Itachi, are you staying here or are you going to be intelligent and go back home like me?" Shisui asked his cousin, earning a subtle nod as Itachi followed him. "Be careful Ama," Itachi said softly as he headed home, ignoring the gut wrenching feeling as they turned away from the girl. Ama glared at their backs as they parted ways and turned away, walking again.

Cold raindrops fell on her head, blinding the girl as she struggled through the thick foliage in an attempt to find shelter as the storm grew steadily worse. Ama shivered and hugged herself as she regretted not bringing a jacket with her, the cold seeping into her bones and causing her teeth to chatter. Thunder boomed as lightning tore through the sky and split the air, making the girl jump and walk faster, eager to get out of the weather. Just as she found a small patch of earth with a rocky overhang, the child tripped and tumbled to the ground, hitting her head and sending her into darkness.

Itachi and Shisui stood under a shop's overhang in an attempt to get out of the rain for a moment, neither boys speaking as they watched the treeline for any sign that the stubborn girl had come to her senses and was attempting to return to the village. Shisui glanced down at his feet as he guiltily thought about the cruel things he had said to the sweet girl and promised himself that he would apologize and make it up to her when the weather would allow it. Suddenly, lightning struck the trees and smoke began to rise from the distant area, the same direction that Amaterasu had been headed. The cousins exchanged worried glances before the dashed away and headed for the trees, both feeling a sense of foreboding as they ran to the girl's aid.

Ama sat up and rubbed her aching head, sharp pains shooting down her body as she wearily stood up. Smoke filled the air and Ama heard the distinct crackle of fire as she became aware of the world once more. To her left, she could see the faint glow of flames and she began to run blindly, terrified for her life as the fire began to devour the green world around her. The girl tripped several times as she stumbled in the dark in an attempt to escape the hungry flames behind her, screaming for Itachi or Shisui to find her. Light appeared not only in front of her, but also on the right and she changed direction, running to her left as the storm continued to escalate and the winds picked up, carrying the ashes with it and burning her eyes with the intense heat. Amaterasu was surrounded on all sides by the angry flames and her knees buckled as fear overtook the child, tears clinging to her lashes and the wrenching sobs tearing through her frame as she felt her death grow ever closer. Her parents' smiling faces played in her mind as she squeezed her eyes shut, willing everything to just be a terrible nightmare that she would soon wake from, awaken to a reality where she could hug her mother and kiss her father's cheek happily, a world where she would attend the academy and fail miserably, content in the fact that she simply wasn't cut out to be a kunoichi.

The girl screamed as she felt the first tongue of flame lick her skin, choking on her own terror as the air grew more and more difficult to breathe. Smoke filled her lungs and Amaterasu whimpered as she began to fall unconscious, her previous head wound began to take its toll on her body and mind; she was beginning to grow delirious from the pain. Ama saw her father step from between the burning tree trunks and reached for him, no longer aware of the fire that began to burn her flesh away as she stumbled towards the illusion, no longer feeling the pain from her head and scorched skin as she saw her mother walk towards her, the older woman's arms open and ready to embrace the girl. She was only aware of the presence of two other people as she was burned alive. Ama stepped forward and hugged her dearest mother, only to be wrenched back to reality as her arms met only fire and she screamed angrily, the pain forcing her to collapse as her entire body was engulfed in flame. The last thing the girl was aware of was the dark outline of two people rushing to her side.

When Ama awoke, the first thing she was aware of was the pain shooting up and down her body. The second was the completely sterile scent of a, dare she imagine it? hospital room. She sat up and tenderly gripped her side as the monitors began to beep in warning, signaling the patient had returned to the world of the living. Ama felt a warm hand brush hers and she looked over only to be met with the sight of both Uchiha Itachi and Shisui sitting at her bedside, both deeply asleep and bearing faint burn marks. The child smiled at them and looked up when a nurse entered the room, relief flooding the woman's face when she saw the child was conscious and able to move. "How are you feeling? Wait, don't answer that. What a stupid question, of course you're in pain," she said as she began checking the girl's charts and her current condition. "What happened? I should be dead right now," Ama said quietly. The nurse smiled sympathetically and patted the younger's hand gently, their skins barely touching. "You would have had these two boys not rushed you out of the fire and brought you directly to the hospital. It's been a few weeks and I know they've been worried sick; the one with a ponytail was in fits when he was ordered to go on a mission that lasted several days. And the other boy! Oh, he was in tears when a doctor informed them that you probably wouldn't live but here you are, alive and even capable of movement. You were extraordinarily fortunate to have survived you know; it was nothing short of a miracle." Ama laid back down, her mind reeling as she thought about what had transpired and she felt her heart grow heavy as she realized the two young men beside her had risked their lives for her even though she hadn't been kind to them when they parted ways, though the exact details were fuzzy. Her head began throbbing painfully and she winced, earning another sympathetic glance from the nurse. Her kind brown eyes seemed to cry for the young girl and truth be told, it pissed the child off; who was this strange woman to pity her? Movement beside her distracted Ama and she glanced over to see Itachi and Shisui beginning to wake up, their eyes still hazy from sleep.

Itachi seemed to notice Ama had finally woken up first as his eyes were the first to widen and he grabbed her hand as though that would prove that he wasn't dreaming. "You're awake!" he exclaimed, his eyes bright and joyful as were Shisui's when he became aware of the girl sitting up. Ama nodded and smiled at them, though it hurt her physically to do so. "Yes, awake and in pain. Itachi, if you'll let go of my hand, you'll alleviate some of that pain you know," she teased him, causing the boy to release her quickly. Ama stared at her lap ashamedly for a moment, choosing to not look at either boy. "Thank you for saving me, and I'm sorry for being so stubborn; if I had listened to you two, you wouldn't have had to risk your lives for me. Please forgive me," she finished as tears began to leak from her eyes. Shisui stood and kissed her forehead tenderly, sending mixed emotions through both Itachi and Amaterasu while doing so. "I'm the one who should be sorry Ama; I was way too cruel to you before. What I said was uncalled for and unforgivable, but I hope you'll forgive me anyway Ama-chan," Shisui said with a small grin, his eyes sad and hopeful as he stared intently at the girl.

She smiled back and patted his arm, wincing at the movement. "Of course Shisui-kun," she whispered as she began to fall asleep once more, thoroughly exhausted from the effort of moving. Shisui held her hand gently and for the first time in his life, Itachi felt neglected as he watched the two make up and form a bond so different from any that he had ever had.

Itachi was jealous of his two best friends and it would eventually drive him mad.

Wow, intense huh? I spent hours trying to get this just right and it is currently... 1:32 am, so it'll be about 1:50 when this is finished uploading. I'm exhausted, so you'd better love me. Goodnight.


	5. Chapter 5

**Warning for this chapter: reference to a rape. Very brief with the most graphic detail being her getting kissed roughly.**

The months passed slowly as Amaterasu's burn wounds healed; by the end of her first month of being conscious, the doctors had removed many of the bandages to child's mixture of delight and horror. The flesh had been burned away and where it had healed, it had scarred over nastily. Ama felt hideous, disgusting, and utterly useless as she realized that with her heavily bandaged hands she would be unable to continue writing for a while. Itachi had done his best to visit often, but it was Shisui whom she saw the most. After the incident when she had awoken, the two had become fast friends, always laughing and teasing one another and Itachi couldn't help but feel jealous of their closeness; after all, it was he who had initially found her, he who had befriended and sympathized with the girl. He kept quiet about his feelings however, and life continued. Mikoto had been ecstatic to hear about the girl's gradual recovery and Fugaku even more so to learn of her sudden closeness with Shisui; no longer would he have to worry about her possibly tainting Itachi's pure blood with her own.

Boredom had set in and Ama had nearly stabbed a nurse out of shear irritation when the older woman had attempted to force her into a wheel chair despite her ability to walk, much to Shisui and Itachi's amusement. "I can't believe our sweet tempered Amaterasu would try to bring harm upon another creature," Shisui had teased the girl when she had explained why she was strapped to a bed and given only pudding and a styrofoam spoon to eat with for supper. Ama had merely replied with a spoon in his arm as she stuck her tongue out only to jump when Itachi chuckled at the image of Shisui sitting completely still with a sorry excuse for a dining utensil actually sticking out of his limb. It was moments like this when he felt true appreciation for his two friends, though he would never voice his feelings nor admit to them if asked. Ama had smiled and hugged them both after mumbling a half-hearted apology to the oldest of the trio, grinning coyly like a mad cat the entire time.

Eventually, the wounds all completely healed and she was left with only faint scars, a miracle courtesy of a skilled medic nin who had been visiting and decided to do his best to heal the girl when he had learned of her condition. After the last bandage had been removed a full year after the fire, Ama had been released and immediately returned to her lonely home where she was met with a strange and unsettling sight: her landlord was seated in a chair in her kitchen, his legs crossed and a vicious smile playing his lips. "Welcome home Amaterasu," he began with a venomously sweet voice, his eyes riddled with deceit. "I have kept your home clean, your elecricity and water running, and even stocked your refrigerator and pantries for you, all without payment. However, there IS something I would like you to do for me in return."

Ama swallowed nervously, almost painfully, as she took in the dangerous gleam in his eyes; her palms began to sweat and she could feel panic set in as the man stood and approached her slowly, ignoring the now overturned chair, seeing only the terrified child stumbling backwards as she tried to escape him. "No," she whispered pleadingly as the man grabbed her hand, forcing her chin up and seeing his own dirty reflection in her clear eyes. She had never noticed his unkempt facial hair nor the stoop in his shoulders, but she noticed every flaw, every imperfection in her terror: his greedy grey eyes, his thinning brown hair and the roundness of his belly.

Ama screamed as his hands began to roam her small virgin body roughly, only for the sound to be muffled by his vicious and eager mouth on hers. "Shut up and be good; I'd hate to have to mark that pretty face of yours," Shuu growled as he pulled away, causing the girl to whimper fearfully. Her caramel hair brushed against his skin gently and cast shadows in the low-lighting, sending shivers of pleasure down the sick man's spine as he took in her appearance. "stop, please!" Ama cried as he led her to her own mat and threw her down roughly, ignoring her pleas and instead pleasured himself with her untouched body.

Hours later, the man left with a pleased smile on his lips as he ran a hand through what hair he had left, putting a finger to his lips and smiling coyly at the young child as he shut her door. Amaterasu waited until he left before she broke down, the angry tears running down her cheeks as she stood and began to wash herself, limping and wincing as the torn flesh of her lower areas were rubbed by the coarse cloth of her wash rags. Blood dirtied the clean water of her tub, the heat and soap stinging and burning her tender skin. Ama whimpered as she thought back to the traumatizing experience, a humiliated blush staining her cheeks as the tears rose once more. A knock at her door startled the child back to awareness and she noticed that her bathwater had lost its warmth. Dressing quickly, Ama was both relieved and scared to see her friends on the other side of her front door. She sighed and opened it, not raising her eyes or greeting them warmly like she had whenever they had come to visit her in the hospital. Mikoto and Sasuke trailed behind the two young shinobi, the older woman looking extremely worried as she took in the disheveled appearance and everyone noticed the child's newly acquired limp. "What happened?" Itachi asked worriedly, his eyes trailing through the apartment until he began to notice the little details that were out of place: the over turned chair, the messy bed despite Ama being a neat freak regarding her room, the bloody rags on the bathroom floor and the torn clothes that littered the small and dimly lit hallway. "Nothing," she whispered quietly, having completely lost her joyful demeanor from that morning. Shisui grabbed her wrist and forced her to look at him, sending flashes of fear through the girl as their current position reminded her of her experience from just hours before and she did the one thing that she had done earlier: she screamed, thrashing about as she yelled.

"No! Let go of me!" Shisui released her, his eyes wide as Ama collapsed and cried, her terror leaking through her pores. "Ama, who touched you?" Mikoto demanded as she realized the girl had been raped. "Amaterasu shook her head and sobbed harder, stiffening when the older woman bent down and wrapped her arms around the child, rubbing small and gentle circles on her back. "Shh, shh, don't cry. Who was it?" Mikoto asked softly as the two Uchiha shinobi exchanged furious glances and Sasuke felt confusion. "S-Shuu- san," Ama cried finally as she embraced her friend's mother tightly. Itachi clenched his jaw as Shisui punched the wall beside him furiously. "Your landlord?" the Uchiha woman asked as Ama nodded in confirmation. She glanced at her son and nodded, silently ordering him to go inform his father. Itachi left without hesitation, taking Sasuke with him and leaving Mikoto alone with Shisui and the vicitimized child. Mikoto looked pointedly at the remaining boy and he left hesitantly, giving a sad and unseen smile to his shaking friend. The two females sat in silence, the only sounds coming from the heartbreaking sobs as they left the small girl.

"You're more than welcome to stay in my home Amaterasu; I'd appreciate some help around the house and you can be closer to Itachi, and away from here," Mikoto started, falling quiet as Ama looked questioningly at her. "Fugaku-san doesn't like me, Mikoto-san, and I don't want to be a burden to you, nor impose upon your family," Ama said quietly, the tears still running from her eyes. Shaking her head, the older woman smiled kindly and kissed the top of the girl's head.

"He'll understand my concerns about you living anywhere alone for a while, and you're far from a burden; Itachi and Sasuke would both be thrilled to have you around, and I know Shisui will enjoy having you only a short walk away from him," she teased lightly, earning an embarassed smile as the girl giggled shyly. "If it's really okay, I will," she smiled through her drooping lashes and wet hair.

"What's going to happen to Shuu-san?" Ama asked Mikoto as they waljed to the compound together. The motherly woman pinched her lips together as she stared straight ahead in an attempt to not say anything that might frighten the girl. "He will be questioned, you will be asked to explain what happened, and then he will be locked up; Fugaku already has him in custody I'm sure, so you don't have to worry about him ever again," she explained to the girl, finally glancing down and smiling despite the topic when she noticed the child's crossed eyes as a butterfly fluttered its wings whilst resting on her nose. Her eyes softened and she gave a feminine laugh as Ama sneezed, startling the insect and causing it to fly away. Itachi and Shisui stood together and watched the scene, both grinning as their young friend wiggled her nose in an attempt to cease the itching.

"She's staying with you then? Think you can handle that ball of energy running around your house with Sasuke?" Shisui asked, nudging Itachi playfully and earning a glare from his cousin. "Hn," was all he could get for a rise, but the older boy took it as a victory nonetheless and grinned happily as they ran to the compound. Ama suffered from nightmares and paranoia for the next several days but in the true spirit of a young child, she overcame her temporary fear of the male sex (which did not apply to Sasuke in her mind- after all, he still didn't know what the difference between men and women was!) and returned to leaping on her two friends every chance she got, which, unfortunately for him, was supplied quite often in Itachi's case as they were now only a few rooms apart when he was home from a mission. The girl would wake up early and wait for her friend outside of his bedroom, always noticed immediately by the young prodigy and then the waiting game would commence.

Eventually, nature would call one or the other and Ama would either leap on her friend as he left his room or leap on him after she went to the bathroom and tinkled. Twice the two had nearly wet themselves, both determined to out-wait the other; Shisui found these times particularly entertaining as his friends refused to speak to one another, both pouting childishly. The older Uchiha boy found himself being drawn further still to the girl as she greeted him every day they saw each other with an excited hug, her eyes wide and cheerful as Ama slowly worked her way into the hearts of many of the Uchiha elders, the boys' great aunt and uncle especially. Shisui would welcome these forms of affection warmly and even returned them, now making a habit of kissing the happy child's forehead lovingly, often receiving a blush from the girl and smiles from anyone who had seen the action; after all, it wasn't often that one would see an Uchiha man show affection for anyone aside from his wife or daughter in public, especially one who had always insisted that girl's were only trouble as Shisui had done.

Ama found herself growing more and more content with her new life in the compound and when she felt smothered, she would dash away into a field a little over a mile from the compound where an assortment of trees, berry bushes, and wildflowers grew. There she would sit and write, continuing her story of the loving kunoichi whose love for her country drove her away from her home and sent her on a strange adventure. Itachi and Shisui would often find her there and would listen as she read her story to them, and while it wasn't something they would normally read and enjoy, both boys enjoyed listening to her and catching a glimpse of the world the girl would see when her eyes were closed. One such moment was permanently etched into the minds of each individual of the trio, one that would make the following months difficult for young Itachi. The boys found Ama sitting in the shade of multiple trees, a pen scribbling across a paper quickly as the girl's unfocused eyes saw what they could not, her heart wrenching for the character in her story as she went through a difficult ordeal that the boys were unaware of. They waited for her hand to cease its rapid movements, both content to sit in silence for once while in the presence of the energetic girl. The breeze caressed the group gently, enveloping them in a gentle fragrance of flowers and fresh green shoots as the wind danced through the trees, rustling leaves and bringing a cool relief to the children. Cloudy blue skies seemed to smile as the peaceful atmosphere began to shift when Ama seemed to realze her friends were with her. She turned and smiled kindly at them, her eyes peaceful as she awoke from the visions dancing behind them.

"What's Tamiko up to, Ama-chan?" Shisui asked as he hugged her happily, unaware of the envious look Itachi sent him. Ama smiled widely at her dear friend, a faint blush staining her cheeks as he embraced her. "Want me to read it to you?" she asked, earning a pleased nod from both boys; they enjoyed listening to her tales, especially when she was calm as that was when her voice seemed soothing. The girl cleared her throat and smiled, scanning the page quickly before beginning her story.

"'A gentle breeze wafted through the kitchen window, carrying the distinct aroma of the sea with it as Tamiko finished packing her bag. She stood and stared wistfully at the room, aware of the distinct possibility that she would never see her make-shift home again. She shut the window regretfully, unwilling to leave her home yet knowing fully well that she had no choice; the people she had come to care about and everyone in the country needed her. Tamiko picked her bag up and blew out the few lit candles in the home, checking to make sure she had not forgotten anything important before shutting and locking the door behind her. Her eyes trailed along the rocky pathway to her home and followed the tree line as she memorized the landscape that had both protected and trapped her for three years while she perfected her techniques, now finding her will wavering as she scanned the sandy shoreline.

'Her future as well as the future of those she had come to know was dependent on her, and she refused to fail them. A sudden cry rang through the trees as the great body of her red antelope bounded toward her and stopped, nudging Tamiko when the tears fell from her eyes. Bending down so that she could climb atop him, the creature seemed to attempt to comfort her as he snorted and nudged her gently once more. Tamiko smiled fondly at her friend and they set out together, waving their home goodbye as the sun rose higher into the sky. The two companions came to a crossroad and the girl slid off of her friend sadly, readjusting her bag as her feet touched the ground. "Goodbye, old friend. Run strong and fast, and when I return to this land we will travel together until our deaths," Tamiko cried silently as the antelope shook his large head before walking away and she watched the last tie to her home leave her. The woman would miss her companion often on her travels, but knew that it would be impossible to reach the floating city with him. Offeringg one last sad smile to the land, Tamiko turned and pushed on, eager to reach the cliffs before sunset,'" Amaterasu finished, her eyes looking up at her friends, both of whom were looking at her doubtfully.

"There's more, right?" Shisui asked, earning a small laugh from the girl. "Yes, but I want to finish up before I read that to you guys," she grinned at them, happy as Itachi gave her a small smile of understanding. The trio stood and began to head home, all three happy to be together. Shisui smiled at his young friend and reached down, shyly taking Ama's hand in his who blushed and looked away but continued to hold his. Itachi glanced over and looked away, a strange feeling of irritation rising in his chest, one that would slowly grow in strength over time.

**Poor Ama :( Unfortunately, it had to be done. Anyway, I was thinking about doing something special for chapter 10- an excerpt from Ama's story. What do ya think? Let me know! For those of you who don't have fanfiction accounts, email me at ravensmagyks okay? Bye bye for now!**


	6. Author's Note

**Hiya! Not sure how many people will actually READ this, but I just want to say that chapter six is going to be out late tomorrow night/early sunday morning and I have something rather big planned for it. I HAVE TWO FOLLOWERS AND TWO REVIEWS! I LOVE YOU THREE PEOPLE! Well, I love everyone else too, but these three made their love known, so I am open with my love for them. So! Let's reply to your reeeeevieeeeeeews! **

**To Guest on Chapter 4- Your comment- ****_The fact that shisui is kinda falling for her and Itachi getting jealous is so sweet! :3 Anyways, great story, nice writing! Hope you update cuz I'm craving for more! (_)_**

**What is the symbol at the end supposed to be? Explain please? Reply at ravensmagyks or create an account on fanfiction (this one please!) so that I may receive your wisdom! Also! Thank you so much for your kind words, I'm happy you like my writing so much!**

**To on Chapter 5- Your comment- ****_Jealous Itachi is the cutest shit I've ever seen. I love this story! Please update soon!_**

**Itachi's adorable even when dying, bloody, and poking his brother's forehead after a fight to the death. I'm thrilled you like my story so much and I intend to update frequently, though if I go a week without doing so, please stab me repeatedly with Samehada, okay? I have big plans for the upcoming chapter, so stay tuned!**

**I'm done ranting now, loves to everyone! Soot says meow! (I think that's cat for "whore" cause I love so many people.. but not in a sexual way; no cooties for me!)**

**See ya next time!**

**-Kiss**


	7. Chapter 6

Ama glared at her friends as she waited in the tree, angry that the boys had left her stranded. Itachi ignored the dirty looks she shot them as Shisui grinned and waved at their younger counterpart. The trio had arrived at the training grounds and the boys had offered to carry her and climb the tall trees, much to the girl's delight, but the mischievous duo had abandoned her carelessly once they got bored. Hours passed and they remembered their citizen friend was a good 200 feet off the ground and clinging to a tree limb for dear life, sending them running to where she had been. The girl smartly waited until she was safely on the ground once more before turning to them and- PUNCHED Uchiha Itachi in the nose, who immediately clutched it painfully. He had seen it coming but hadn't realized just how strong- or furious- his female friend had been until his nose was bleeding profusely and Shisui was backing away before she turned on him.

"You bastard!" she screamed angrily. "I expected this much from Shisui," "hey!" said shinobi interrupted, only to be ignored, "but not once did I think that YOU would leave me stranded in that damn tree! I waited for hours, screamed for you to come back for me but you just left me! Well guess what buddy-boy, you're gonna regret it, you mark my words! I will get you back for this, both of you!" Ama finished, her eyes bright with fury as she turned and stomped back to the compound where even the most powerful shinobi stood aside for the angry child, their expressions ones of shock as the sweet girl who would defend Itachi and Shisui with her every breath was cursing them loudly.

The two boys looked at eachother nervously, both understanding the phrase "Hell hath no fury like a woman's scorn," perfectly as they followed their friend back to the compound, earning dirty looks from many clan elders as they passed. They split up and Itachi found himself growing fearful as he saw his mother standing outside their house watching him with cold eyes. "Uchiha Itachi, what the FUCK did you do to that poor girl?! She was upset when she got home, she was being quite hateful towards you and your cousin, and I just finished rubbing cream on her sunburnt body! Explain now and don't expect your supper tonight," Mikoto snarled at her son, her eyes flashing dangerously and causing Itachi to flinch. Looking at his feet ashamedly, Itachi explained what had happened to her and listened as she screamed at him, his guilt weighing heavily on his heart as he thought about the girl having been alone in a tree as long as she had. That night, Fugaku ignored Itachi and even Sasuke seemed upset with him for being mean to Ama.

As for her, Ama had felt happy about Itachi being in trouble with everyone over her for a short period of time before she began feeling not only guilty, but angry at herself for being so easily affected by such a small occurence. As everyone went to bed, she grabbed some rice balls from the fridge as well as a cup of tea and brought them to his room, pausing before she walked in without knocking. Itachi glanced at her curiously, his stomach growling loudly as he spotted the food in her hands and he looked away, silently hoping the girl wouldn't hear his belly. Ama smiled and laughed quietly as she placed the food on his mat and handed him the tea, earning a small smile and a thanks as he ate greedily.

"Itachi," she began softly, her voice quiet so she wouldn't wake his parents. "I'm sorry for punching your face... and for making everyone mad at you." He smiled and hugged the girl happily, his grip strong and gentle on her as he silently accepted her apology and offered one in return. Itachi frowned as his heart beat a little faster and heat filled his cheeks, though it went unnoticed by his younger though taller friend. "Can I sleep in here tonight?" she asked suddenly, startling him as they broke the silence. "There's a spider in my room and I think it's hiding under my blanket." The Uchiha sighed and brushed his hair back, feigning irritation though he felt pleased that she felt safe with him and nodded, patting the spot next to him.

Ama beamed and crawled next to Itachi happily, snuggling against him before beginning to doze. The night wore on and Itachi realized several things: One. Ama was a bed/blanket hog. Two. She talked in her sleep. Three. She obviously had weird dreams as she said the words 'machete', 'tortoise', 'sandwich', and 'ruptured pancreas' in the same sentence. Four. She moved in her sleep, and by moved it is meant that she kicked and hit him multiple times. And lastly, Ama was cuddly in her sleep, always trying to get closer to his warmth. Itachi got very little sleep and was quite grumpy in the morning, even going as far as to push her over when she sat up and had the nerve to ask what he was upset about. She huffed and left the room, stumbling as she did so and giving him a few hours of rest before he finally rolled out of bed, earning amused looks from his mother who believed he had simply slept late.

Ignoring her, Itachi ate his breakfast and joined Shisui outside, for once unaccompanied by their angry princess. Shisui was disappointed to see Ama hadn't joined him and asked what had happened, catching only a few words as Itachi mumbled angrily about weird sleeping habits. "Ya know Itachi, I think I'm going to marry that girl; she's so sweet and understanding and plus, I bet she's gonna be really pretty when she grows up," the older cousin said happily, his eyes bright and distant as a blush stained his cheeks. Itachi raised an eyebrow curiously as he asked what had brought the thought into the boy's mind and waited several long minutes as Shisui realized someone had asked him a question. "Mom. She wants me to find a girlfriend so she can do girly stuff with her," he started before looking away, a bitter expression capturing his cousin's attention as he added venomously, "She always wanted a daughter; apparently I'm not good enough for her."

Itachi patted his friend's back sympathetically, smothering the angry bile that rose in his throat as he thought of Ama and Shisui becoming a couple and instead focusing on the negative aura the older boy was giving off. "You can have her; that girl is a dangerous sleeper." Shisui's head shot up and he glared at the younger boy as he ordered him to explain. Itachi told him what had happened the previous night, causing his cousin to relax slightly as Itachi feigned disinterest in the girl, as much as he selfishly hated himself for it. They nodded to the postal nin who handed Mikoto the mail through the kitchen window before they left to train.

Ama looked startled as Mikoto handed her a small envelope with her name written across it, almost fearing its contents as she tore it open and read the letter inside. The girl screamed joyfully and danced around, dropping the letter and earning an amused look from the Uchiha woman before she read the cause of the girl's happiness.

'_Amaterasu, _

_I hope this letter finds you in good health. As it is, I am the representative for the __**University of the Finer Arts for the Gifted and Unique**__, or __**UFAGU**__ for short, and have read many of your works. I am quite interested in seeing how your writing career could advance if you had formal training, and it is obvious that you are intelligent, so I would enjoy seeing you blossom into a gifted scholar. Enlisted are the details for applying for scholarships at our school. Remember that your future is dependent on your actions in the present, so don't you want to work hard now and see the fruits of your labors when you graduate? You can work on campus to pay for your room and should you need to continue to stay here after graduation, that can easily be arranged. Please think this offer over seriously; you are one of an exclusive few who will receive this letter.'_

It listed the contact information and had multiple sheets attached to it that were hers to fill out, signed at the bottom by the dean and completed with the school's seal stamped on it. Ama could feel her heart beat faster as she thought about making a life for herself in a university as prestigious as UFAGU and set about filling out the attached papers with the equally-excited Mikoto. "How'll you break this to Itachi and Shisui?" she asked finally, bringing reality crashing down on the girl's shoulders as she remembered the boys who had worked their way into her heart and had come to be the center of her world in place of her lost family. "Don't think for a moment that I'll let you stay for those two; you're not meant to be a kunoichi, so having the opportunity to show off your intelligence and harness your creativity is essential to your future. They both care about you enough to respect your choices, Ama, so don't worry," Mikoto said as she caught the girl's unhappy expression. Sasuke ran into the room excitedly just then, eager to show off the new kunai technique he had learned at the academy.

Ama smiled sweetly at the youngest Uchiha and followed him outside where he threw the knives happily, eager to show off. Ama watched him through the afternoon without complaint, complimenting him frequently as he trained. Her mind was no where near the compound however; she was dreaming about her now bright future, her smile was wider, brighter than normal as she thought about being able to travel away from the village and see the world for herself.

Itachi was distant when he returned that night, cold even to his dear friend as he thought about his latest orders straight from the council elders, his conflicting emotions driving him mad as he compared his loyalty and love for the village to his duty as an Uchiha youth and future clan leader. He glanced over at the girl only slightly younger than him as he considered the order to destroy her if she continued to stay in the clan's compound, unable to quash the pains in his chest at the thought of killing her. Ama watched the silent boy next to her, catching his eye and smiling sadly before she broke the silence. "Itachi, I really appreciate you and your family giving me a home after what... happened," she began, her voice breaking before she shook off the dark memory, "and you'll never know how much you mean to me, and it's the same with Shisui, but I'm leaving soon. Within the next few weeks as a matter of fact; I received an invitation to study at UFAGU and I'm taking it."

Itachi was careful to mask his relief with a blank face, ignoring the selfish sorrow he felt at the idea of her leaving. "You'll do well there; this village will only prevent you from reaching your true potential at this point. Just promise me," he added quietly, his words nearly unheard to Ama, "promise me you'll always remember us and write occasionally." The girl smiled and nodded happily, suddenly aware of how much Itachi truly meant to her as he smiled back and placed his hand on hers. Mikoto watched them from the crack in the door and felt her heart beat faster as the silent sign of affection was accepted and Ama leaned her head on Itachi's shoulder, almost unwilling to accept her son was growing up so quickly.

Shisui did not take the news so well. "You're just going to leave us? Do you not care about how we feel about this, did you not stop and think about how this would affect me or Itachi?" Ama bristled angrily, unable to kill the guilt she felt suddenly. "I'm not a ninja, Shisui! Nor would I be content to sit around Konoha as just another civilian that lived and died unknown; just because you're one of my best friends doesn't mean I will destroy every chance I have for a bright future for you. I'm not selfless like you, and I never will be." The two glared at eachother coldly, neither willing to break the stare.

"Whatever," the Uchiha said finally, looking away with hard eyes. "I was right about you all along obviously; I'll be glad to see you go." Ama stiffened, her eyes suddenly wet with tears before she slapped the boy as hard as she could.

"Fine! I hope I never have to see you again. I'm just sorry Itachi has to stay here and be with you, a pathetic excuse for a friend," she screamed before storming away, sobbing openly.

Itachi got to his room after teaching Sasuke some training techniques and was surprised to see Ama curled up on his mat, sobbing into his pillow. He said nothing as he approached her and instead just hugged the heartbroken girl, rocking back and forth gently as he patted her back. "You'll forgive eachother eventually, it'll just take time; he cares too much for his own good Ama," Itachi finally said, sighing as the girl sobbed harder and buried her face into his neck. They held one another until the cries stopped completely and Ama was fast asleep in her friend's arms, much to his delight.

The days till her departure passed far too quickly for Amaterasu's taste and eventually it came time for her to leave. She still hadn't spoken to Shisui and though it broke her heart, the proud girl refused to apologize first. Sasuke sobbed as he hugged the older girl, upset to see the person he had come to view as a sister leave him behind, though his sorrow was nothing compared to the heartbreak Itachi experienced. It was far better that she left them before the time came that he had to carry out his mission, and this was easily the best scenario he could imagine for it, but the fact remained that Itachi felt as though half of him was being ripped away as Ama handed the coachman her small bag. Mikoto carried her sobbing youngest son away, still within comforting distance but far enough to give the adolescents their privacy as they stood awkwardly, neither wanting to say goodbye suddenly.

"So it's time to go," Ama started sadly, earning a sad nod from her friend. "Yeah," Itachi replied quietly, unhappy to know that he could not mask his emotions. "I guess this is goodbye for now," she began again, a small sob rising in her throat as the girl threw her arms around Itachi's neck, hugging him tightly and almost surprised when the gesture was returned. "You have six years before I drag you home myself," Itachi joked half-heartedly. Ama nodded, laughing as she wiped the tears away and broke the hug. "Just don't put me in a bag; you know I hate the dark. Don't forget me, 'Tachi," she whispered before kissing his cheek and climbing into the coach.

Itachi just stood and touched the skin she had kissed, his cheeks pink as he allowed the tears to fall silently. "I can't forget you, Ama, but I hope we never see eachother again, for your sake."

**Oooooh snap! To quote Lumpy Space Princess, "Drama Bomb!" There is at least one more chapter to go regarding the pre-assassination arc and then we'll start again! What do ya think of our aggressive but still lovable Amaterasu? OOOOOH OOOOOH OOOOOOOH REVIEW TIME! **

** - Your review - "Nyahahahaa- *cough* No pressure; Stories like this are worth waiting for. I love young Itachi stories! He's just. So. Cuutteee! I love how adorable he's always portrayed to be! **  
** I'd write fanfics about him, but unfortunately I think I suck, and my first fanfic was totally a self-inserted Mary Sue.. And I was pretty much illiterate when writing... So I gave up... But This-.. Yes. Yes, This story- THIS. IS. AWESOMEEEE. Update soon! xoxo"**

**I'm certainly glad you think so! I find writing Itachi in character is rather difficult, but as a child I think he can be excused for being emotional around his GIIIIIIIRL FRIIIIIIEEEEEEND! OOOOOOOOOOOOH! TACHI HAS A GIRLFRIEND! TACHI HAS A GIRLFRIEND!**

**To end my childish rantish reply, Mary Sue's are never any fun as they are rarely merry and never sue u (awwww yeah! I am PUNny!) and therefore I try to avoid such personalities. Lots of love! Tell your friends and I might force Itachi to give you a hug! (It'd be forced 'cause he's not twelve anymore and only has eyes for Ama, who happens to fall in love with a magic turtle and dies when said turtle is eaten by a bird.)**

**Now then, I just tried to toast the lid to a jar of jelly, so I think it would be best if I went to bed. Nighty night everybody!**


	8. Random Babble Ama's Story

**Hello all! I am working on the next chapter now, but I got bored and lonely whilst brainstorming, so I wanted to ask a question of you lot: why is it that strawberry and cherry-flavored hard candies can be red or have a red-ish tint, but watermelon has to be left with the creepiness that is green apple? I mean, isn't that just judging a book by its color, or in this case, a fruit by the rind? What if the watermelon push pops don't like the ugly green that counteracts the yummy sweetness that is a watermelon push pop?**

**Poor yummy pops... but the blue ones are the best. Kinda like with jolly ranchers. You know what sounds good now that I am rambling about sweets? A blueberry iced scone. Or a muffin, but only a moist chocolate chip muffin. Oh! Or now that I think about it, a muffin sounds much more appetizing. So, a moist chocolate chip muffin like the one I saw at Wally World yesterday. **

**Review tiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiime! **

** - "****_Yep, I'll be sure to recommend this story to my followers on tumblr(71)! If I didn't spend this much my life on the internet I would have more personal friends to give this recommendation; But as previously mentioned, I fail at social life because I spend very much of my life on the internet.. And eating.. And sleeping... (*CoughWhatElseIsThereCough*)_**  
**_Anyways, I loved this chapter! You failed to disappoint (as always). Though, I probably liked Shisui backing off her to leave room for Itachi's affections more them I should have... Oohh, the Massacre's coming soon. I. Can't. Wait! And the blushing Itachi while tears run down his face was SO SAD. Such conflicted feelings are one of my fanfiction week points. This is an unpredictable story. I like it. Keep Up The Good Work, Ne?"_**

**Will you REALLY? T.T I will love you till the day you die, since I am likely to die first what with my clumsiness... I shall befriend you, my young and constant reviewer! Sleeping, eating, internet-browsing... It's a tough life that is not suitable for many young children to witness, nor an appropriate career path for the adults we all know and mostly dislike, but someone has to do it. If not us, then who? **

**I couldn't keep writing her and Shisui as a possible couple when it's far more likely that they would get into a fight and eventually forgive but never grow super close again. I felt almost smug when she got angry at Shisui and was finally able to hint at feelings between her and Itachi. Now, in most fanfictions I read, there are few details on the massacre itself unless the main character in the fanfic is Sasuke, and I plan on doing something a little different for this story. After this chapter, the next several will be considerably shorter, more entertaining regarding comedy, very dramatic in a few instances, then angsty, so prepare your fanfic-loving anus!**

**Also, just because I love you, here's a little something special that's a few days old. **

"There is a city that floats in the sky far to the west; it's a strange place where nothing is as it first appears and there is no war. It is said to remain untouched by modern society, yet it was once said to be the most civilized and modern place on this planet. I heard tale of a cure to every disease there is that is easily accessed by the citizens and even a rumor that they neither fear death nor attempt to prevent it. Oh Tamaki, I have always wanted to travel and try to find that mystical city, yet now I fear it is but a story; that's all it is to me nowadays anyway. I'm far too sick and even older still to even attempt to find it. Perhaps one day, and wouldn't this be marvelous, you'll find it for me," a sweet eyed woman told her granddaughter lovingly as she brushed the girl's long hair. The child smiled up at the beloved elder, her grey eyes shining brightly at the thought of someday traveling to the city and bringing a cure to her grandmother's strange illness home. "How do I get there Granny?" she asked curiously, earning a chuckle from the patient woman.

"Oh let's see, I was once told that you would follow the grey rabbit clan until you came across the great salt lake where the mermaids sing; from there you would ferry across the water on the back of the tortoise who guards the beauteous sirens who live in the waters. Once you're there, it's a months travel to the peaks where once a month, the city is said to lower its bridges and allow its citizens to venture off and gather supplies, fish, and trade with merchants from a secluded village," her grandmother told her, tapping a long finger against her chin thoughtfully. "But it's a long and arduous journey, and they say the mountain peak is guarded by a dragon who is faithful to the city. Ah, but the knowledge stored within the great library housed on that floating island is well worth the journey, or so I was told." Tamaki pouted, suddenly doubting her grandmother's honesty.

"Who told YOU all of that if you've never been?" The old woman laughed at her granddaughter's expression of doubt. "My grandmother did, when I was about your age. She controlled wind and fire, so she was able to endure the cold of the mountain long enough to see the city for herself. Since then, I've met four people who have claimed to have seen the city and every one of them seemed to regret leaving it."

"Why'd they leave it?"

"Maybe they had a little girl at home that would've cried if they didn't go home," her grandmother said warmly, placing a kiss on the child's head. Tamaki seemed to think for a minute before accepting this answer and smiled at the old woman. "Do you think Dad left us to find a cure to mommy's cold and got lost?" she asked her elder suddenly, causing her to set the brush down and smile sadly at the child.

"Maybe he did, but your father was always good at finding things. I think he may have decided that this part of the world was just too plain, too dull for a shinobi like him and so he left in his little sailboat, determined to see what many never will." The girl seemed sullen suddenly, the light gone from her eyes and the old woman felt guilty for being so abrupt in her suspicions. "Maybe you're right though; maybe he's trying to find you as we speak. Why, he might be here tomorrow evening!" Tamaki beamed up at her grandmother, suddenly bright with hope. "You really think so?"

Ignoring the guilt that had begun to set in, Tamaki's granny nodded and gave a strained smile as the little girl bounded away, eager to tell the large wolf that was her guardian companion. "oh, what have I done," she muttered as the child moved out of ear shot.

"Mamarou! Mamarou!" Tamaki called out to the wolf, grinning as he opened his powerful jaws and yawned loudly before standing and shaking himself to rid himself of the itchy straw that had worked its way into his long white fur. He turned and stared at the child in front of him, no taller than his shoulder and much more fragile, and licked her face in greeting. "Granny says that Dad might be home tomorrow! Isn't that exciting?" the girl yelled excitedly, her eyes bright as she danced happily. Mamarou barked and danced with her, his intelligent amber eyes reflecting her joy. The musty barn that he had been napping in allowed the evening light to trickle onto the pair as they played happily, unaware of the turmoil in not only their old caretaker but also in the kingdom; war was quickly approaching and it would suck them into the center.

Tamaki would not sit still the following day, totally ignorant to her grandmother's guilt. The girl had been babbling all day about what she and her father would do when he returned. "Do you think he'll love me even though mommy died Granny?" she asked and the old woman could not come clean to the hopeful child; she wanted the girl to hold on to the innocent hope as long as possible. "Of course he will dear." The day passed in the homey little cottage and dusk fell upon the home and still there was no sign of her father. Tamaki sat moodily in the kitchen, ignoring the now- cold cup of tea on the table. The girl fidgeted yet did not ask her granny what was taking so long for him to arrive. "Granny," she finally began, causing the old woman to grow nervous as she prepared to come clean. "You'll always be here, even if I don't have a mommy or daddy, right?" she asked finally, startling her grandmother.

"Of course I will, what a silly question. Now, let's eat some of this Shepard's pie and have a fresh cup of tea, alright?" the old woman replied, her eyes softening on the child. Tamaki nodded happily and accepted the new tea happily, sipping between bites of meat pie. "When will we know if I can be a kunoichi?" "Soon you will either reveal your powers or continue on as you are, but no matter what I will love you just the same," her granny replied, smiling at her cheerful granddaughter. The girl smiled back and finished her supper, setting the dishes on the counter before running into the washroom to run a hot bath for herself.

That night she curled up with Mamorou and try as she might, she couldn't stifle the sobs and her grandmother felt her chest constrict as she heard the little girl cry. The nights over the course of the next few months would pass like this and the girl began to realize that her father was never coming back home, yet she couldn't be angry with her grandmother for not telling her this sooner.

One morning, she awoke to a strange tingling sensation running up her hands and jumped up from her sleeping mat excitedly as she saw the faintest trace of fire on her palms and ran to her grandmother who stood in the kitchen. "Granny, Granny! Look, my hands have fire on them!" she nearly yelled as the old woman glanced down at the child's outstretched palms. Her grandmother smiled and patted the girl's head gently, kissing her forehead. "Then today I want you to start practicing with it. The sooner you master fire, the sooner your second element will reveal itself, though I think I know what it is," she finished, her smile wide as her eyes grew distant. Tamaki beamed up at the old woman before rushing into her room to dress and then escape outside. Her grandmother watched her and smiled sadly, speaking to no one in particular. "She looks just like my grandma when she was a girl, and I'm positive that her second element is wind. The journey will be easier with those elements, though I'm not confident in her will to battle should the need arise. I suppose the wolf will look out for her though," she finished, absentmindedly re-washing all of the dishes from the night before.

The fire wouldn't ignite immediately; it took three days for Tamaki to find the trigger to her natural flames, and another two years for her to master their control. The six-year-old child was eight before her second element would reveal itself: wind, just as her granny had predicted. She grew quickly in height as well as power and soon her fire was powerful enough to melt iron even without the added power of wind.

Mamarou watched over her protectively, often correcting her mistakes as she began to take up lessons with the sword and hand-to-hand combat. Just like the girl, the wolf grew in size and in strength and so by the time she was ten, he was as big as a bear and twice as powerful. Tamaki and her grandmother moved to their clan's compound once she was eleven where it was revealed that she was the only youth who had any power, and this would cause the sweet-tempered child to be bullied by her cousins. The girl never told her guardian about it and the parents of the children would ignore the sight of the girl on the ground as three other kids would jump her. The bullying escalated to the point where Mamarou would escort the girl on his back when she would travel in public without her grandmother, and the other children were more than just terrified of the giant wolf who still had a few years left to grow.

In their clan, all children had a guardian beast who would stay with them until one or the other died, and the size and specie of the guardian would depend on many factors: intelligence, bravery, compassion, and strength. Tamaki had been marked as an exceedingly powerful girl shortly after birth when a wolf wandered up to her and laid down beside the napping infant.

Years passed and the duo became ever closer as they became stronger and smarter together, yet it was plainly obvious that while Tamaki would make an extraordinary warrior, she did not possess the heart of a kunoichi; she was far too compassionate for any creature who breathed. Tamaki's grandmother's health was also declining rapidly. preventing the girl from attempting to be brave and going off on short adventures like she had done previously as she cared for the elderly woman. Her grandmother worried for the young woman as war erupted between their country and a neighboring as they both sought for control over an unclaimed territory in which precious metals and gem stones were abundant, angering the peaceful Tamaki as she learned of the lives lost in the struggle for increased wealth.

The day came when the white-haired girl cried for her dying grandmother, now bedridden and barely capable of movement. She sat loyally at her bedside, eager to try and make the woman comfortable in her final hours. The elderly woman turned to her granddaughter, her old green eyes watching the child as she seemed to try to find her voice. Finally, she spoke to the grieving girl. "Tamaki, you've made me very proud as not only a powerful young warrior, but also a brave and compassionate granddaughter. My time is drawing to a close, but I want you to always remember your roots and the love I felt for you. This war is going to suck you in, so be prepared to take lives for your country, child. My one regret in this life," she said wistfully, her eyes growing dim, "is that I never tried to find the floating city. Don't make the same mistakes I did child; that city and its inhabitants hold the key to ending this ridiculous war, but prepare yourself for the trials that you will endure in the journey. You must find the city at all costs, do you remember the way?" "

Yes Granny, follow the grey rabbit clan until I get to the salty lake, ride the tortoise then make the month-long journey up the mountain to the peak where once a month the city lowers its gate. How will a fairytale save anyone?"

The old woman's eyes watched the girl carefully before she closed her eyes sadly. "Perhaps it IS a story, but I feel in my old bones that the floating city exists. Promise you'll try?"

"I promise." The old woman smiled and held her granddaughter's hand gently, her eyes closing as the breath left her body. "Beware of the dragon my child. Trust in yourself and Mamarou, and always remember this old woman's love."


	9. Chapter 7

Itachi stared wistfully as his parents talked to his younger brother about the academy and the new jutsu he had learned, the epitome of the perfect family he was supposed to be a part of, knowing this was the last time he would be able to walk in and enjoy a meal with them. The day had finally come where he was given the order to act: the Uchiha massacre would commence the next night, casting him off as a rogue and leaving Sasuke alone in the world. The young man smiled bitterly as his mother looked up and smiled warmly at her eldest son, welcoming him home and asking when his next mission would begin. Itachi replied, "Tomorrow. I depart from Konoha tomorrow after I speak to the council of elders," hesitantly, unwilling to disclose too much information to his parents. The coldness in his tone went undetected, or perhaps it was simply excused as exhaustion, by his parents as he sat to eat one last supper with his parents. The ebony-haired shinobi soon excused himself to his room, walking swiftly past his beloved little brother so that he would not stop to reconsider what had to be done in order to ensure peace, much to the child's disappointment.

It had been months since his caramel-haired friend had left and though they had exchanged letters, Itachi could not help but miss her and almost regret ever having grown close to the girl as the thoughts of her kept him awake when he had finally stopped imagining Shisui's betrayed eyes as Itachi exhausted him before holding the older boy's head beneath the surface of the water. Shisui had been all that was left of carefree afternoons of what now seemed to be his long-gone childhood, and with him Itachi's innocence had died, drowning beneath the watery troubles of the world which he single-handedly bore on his young shoulders. The silence suffocated him as he sat alone in his room, staring at the blank ceiling and wondering where their lives had gone wrong. Times like these, Itachi often dreamed of having been born weak and stupid; would Ama still care to know him, would Shisui have befriended the boy with no reason to be cocky? He liked to think so, and so Itachi would dream of a world in which he could work like a citizen in a shop, learning a trade of some sort as Ama came to visit and flirt with the handsome young man behind the counter. Shisui would mock him, never truly meaning it as the patient younger boy would grin and make a come back as the three laughed together, no sense of duty forcing him to keep secrets from those he held dear. Sasuke... No, he couldn't be selfish even in meaningless and impossible dreams; that would put this pressure on Sasuke, and he couldn't force such a burden upon his dear little brother. As much as he might wish that the situation would work itself out, that he would wake up from a nightmare and still have Ama next to him, forcing him out of his own bed simply because she was afraid of a spider and that later they could go outside and she would watch him and Shisui train, it would never happen again.

A bitter smile graced his lips as Itachi felt the bile rise in his throat; Konoha would soon be rid of all but the last Uchiha, and he would never know the truth if Itachi could help it. Ama was thousands of miles away, studying to her heart's content as the world she was a part of continued as it always had; with her smiling and him thinking of her, and very soon she would hate him with every fiber of her being. Truth be told, he would have sooner gotten on his hands and knees before all of Konoha as he pleaded for her safety as well as Sasuke's than harm her, yet had she become any more immersed in the Uchiha uprising, he would have had to kill her just like he would have to do to his family. His chest constricted and a dull pain ached in his body, confusing the healthy boy before he shrugged it off and grabbed a pen and paper, prepared to write one last letter to the girl he held dear, ignoring the sun's rays as they casted their long shadows and slipped behind the hills and buildings in the distance.

His pen paused before carefully beginning his letter, the words flowing and he wondered if this was how Amaterasu felt as she wrote, and if so, he envied her for the peace of heart and mind she must feel every day.

The morning came far too quickly for Itachi and he spent all of it savoring the multitude of tastes in his home, appreciating the warmth in his mother's glances more than he ever had before. His father noticed the openness that his eldest son was interracting with and clapped him on the shoulder in a rare form of affection, both men earning a beaming glance from the woman in the kitchen. Sasuke ran up to them and hugged his mother and brother, bowing respectfully as his father ruffled his hair before dashing off to the academy, showing off his speed to his amused family.

Itachi spent the day wandering about aimlessly, taking in and appreciating the peaceful village around him as he never had before, silently counting down the hours till it was time to begin his mission for Konoha, one that would not end until he was six feet under. The masked man stood atop the buildings as he watched the young boy below him lie and go about his day in a manner he would never do again, not that he ever had before. He felt nothing but a cold sense of hatred as a mess of silver hair wandered down the street with a book in hand and had to breathe deeply before he attacked his former teammate, cursing himself silently as Itachi slipped out of sight.

Itachi stopped and stared at the grove of trees where Ama had nearly lost her life, glaring at the scars on the earth where the hungry flames had seemed to follow them and attempt to devour the village. He almost smiled as he wandered the streets, his usually cold eyes softening as the time passed by without him noticing and the light began to dim. Finally it was time; if he did not do it, the other black ops would and then Sasuke would not be spared and so Itachi donned his mask, clutching his katana and approaching the compound slowly, wishing to prolong the lives of those he had grown to care about over the course of his short but eventful life.

Itachi stared silently at the first of his victims, one of the officers who had confronted him about Shisui's death and took a deep breath before lunging forward and plunging the blade deep within his body. One by one, the Uchiha silently fell and Itachi did his best to maintain his composure, not regretting his decision but unable to be grateful to have been chosen to massacre his loved ones. On the other side of the compound, the masked man was enjoying the puddles of blood that pooled at his feet, more than happy to kill those who had let Rin die. Nothing could take the sheer thrill and pleasure out of this, and eventually he would do the same to the village.

Itachi eventually came to his home and stepped inside, the blood running off of the long blade in his hand as he saw his parents seated with dignity before him, his father's chin raised proudly and his mother's sweet smile almost taunting him. "Make sure Sasuke is safe, Itachi; do everything in your power to prevent Danzo from getting to him," she seemed to whisper, though Itachi heard her voice as clearly as a bell's ring in the morning and it broke his heart. His father smiled at his oldest son, resisting the urge to stand and hug him and instead deciding to impart a few words of wisdom upon his son. "Be strong and never hesitate in what needs to be done, and always remember your shinobi way. You have made me proud, my son." The dam broke and the rivers of tears streamed down his face as Itachi raised his sword in the air, bringing it down swiftly upon the still-smiling faces of his parents as the ghosts of warmth in the home whispered unkindly, reminding him of what he was being forced to leave behind and now bear upon his shoulders. Yet Itachi could not bring himself to regret, for his parents had understood and only asked him to protect his darling baby brother.

A scream echoed through the compound, signalling Sasuke's realization at what had occured. The boy ran into their home, gasping for air and soon becoming unable to do even that as he noticed the bloody remains of his parents on the ground. Sasuke looked up and noticed his big brother standing in the shadows, not noticing the tear-stained cheeks and sharingan eyes that revealed his sorrow and the intense love he felt for the last living member of his family, only seeing the bloody sword in hand and the narrowed eyes of his powerful older brother.

The cruel game of cat and mouse began and though Itachi acted cold and heartless, he hurt as he saw the fear in his baby brother's eyes, the hatred as the boy attacked the peace-loving man. As much as he couldn't stand it, Itachi put Sasuke in an illusion using his mangekyou sharingan, growling protectively as the masked man stepped toward the boy out of the dark alleys around them. "Stay away from Sasuke or I will kill you," Itachi snarled angrily, earning a nod from the man as he turned and disappeared into the dark of the night. The young man looked down at his beloved brother and cried silently, his frame shaking violently as the emotions he would soon be forced to lock away reared their ugly heads and threatened to tear him and everything he was working for apart. He did the only thing he could at that point and ran from the bloody scene, locking away all of his guilt and all of his sorrow deep within his soul, relishing the final moments of pain he was allowed to feel before immersing himself in the frightening world of crime and deceit, alone and afraid for Sasuke's safety.

He could only plan for the future and hope that somewhere in the afterlife, his loved ones understood and would watch over the younger of the remaining Uchihas and Itachi was gone, unable to look back at the village that would never know the reasons behind his betrayal.

Ama grinned as she saw the mail man approach her mailbox and ran out excitedly, surprised to see two letters addressed to her, one from Itachi and one from the Konoha council. Fearing the worst, or what she believed to be the worst, Ama opened the council's letter first once she was safely inside, choking on her breath as she read its contents.

_Amaterasu, _

_We have noted your close affiliations with the Uchiha clan and thought it appropriate to inform you of a most grievous occurence: the Uchiha clan has been massacred by Uchiha Itachi; he and Uchiha Sasuke are the last remaining members of this ancient and powerful clan. We wish to convey our condolences and extend an ivitation to return to Konoha, though understand if you decide there is nothing left for you. We are sorry for your loss. _

It listed the names of the council members and the hokage, though she did not care to remember them as she re-read the brief letter, unable to comprehend the idea that Itachi had murdered his family. Ama broke down and cried, seeing Mikoto's loving smile and hearing her kind voice in her mind, picturing Fugaku's stern expression that would soften when he spoke to his wife and sons, remembered the smiling face of Shisui, whose suicide she had often thought of and regretted departing without apologizing to him. She regretted every terrible thing she had said to the boy even to this day and the wounds of the heart that had begun to close thanks to her make-shift family were violently re-opened, the pains running through the cavernous depths of her soul and forcing her to sob harder. The letter from Itachi lay untouched on the table for hours after, though she eventually forced herself to read it.

_Ama, _

_I hope this letter finds you healthy and happy. How are you? Sasuke recently learned the fireball jutsu and made father proud, though I think he's too proud to say so to anyone but mother. I miss you Amaterasu, life isn't the same without you or Shisui to bother me. Do you ever think of us?_ 'Only everyday,' she thought bitterly to herself. _How are your studies? In your last letter, you'd mentioned a poem you wrote in memory of our days as children. Please send it to me Ama, I want nothing more than to read it right about now. I'm sorry for all the times I was mean to you or Shisui; you have no idea how much I regret them now. _

_I go on a mission tomorrow and I don't know when I'll return to Konoha, or if I ever will. Only time will tell. Maybe some day we'll meet again and I can see how much you've grown, though it's unlikely that I'll make it out of this alive. Forgive me, my dear Amaterasu. I can not portray the depths of my feelings even on paper, where I know it is unlikely we shall ever meet again, yet I shall do my best: I love you and I believe I always have. You see me as Itachi, not Uchiha Itachi or a shinobi and I wish that fate is not so cruel. _

_I shall write as often as possible, but do not expect frequent letters, and do not look for me. I'm so very, very sorry Ama, but I regret none of my decisions. _

_Until next time, _

_Itachi_

It hurt to read the letter, take in every word while knowing what he had done, yet Ama felt hope rise in her chest as she thought about the messages in the letter: was it possible that he had been forced to do what he had done? She smiled bitterly before sealing the letter within a scroll, a trick she had learned from a sensei. Jutsu for battle was useless to her, but if it caused no harm and especially if it meant she could always have her writing supplies and treasures with her, it was well-worth the practice. She grabbed a pen and sat down, writing a reply despite the conflicting hate, love, and despair that battled within her heart. She finished the letter hours later, unable to write continuously due to a combination of her aching hand and the frequent emotional breakdowns she suffered through, and made the seals that would burn the letter only for it to appear within the grasp of its intended recipient.

Itachi felt the burning sensation of a flame powered by chakra, yet he felt no harm as the letter appeared within his clenched fist, scorched around the edges and seemingly aged as a result of the amature chakra control and smiled, seeing the unmistakable handwriting of his dear Amaterasu.

_Itachi,_

_I got a letter from the council about the massacre and as much as I want to ask why, I always have hated people who give the endings away, so here I sit and bite my tongue, thinking of my place in this world now. I'm glad that you spared Sasuke; it would have destroyed me if this life was one without him. After all, they became my family too. I wish I knew my feelings for you Itachi, but I still hurt from Shisui and now the massacre; you killed him, didn't you? He loved life too much to give up so easily, and he loved his clan too much to have spoken ill of it in such a manner. I wish I could have given him a proper goodbye, and that I could have apologized at the very least for being so angry. It's nice to know people still care about me._

_I'm fine, though my history teacher scares me and I found that I am terrible regarding numbers. I haven't made any friends yet; I think I've become an old woman prematurely. My literature teacher and I get along well; I think she's become like me after the death of her husband. _

_I think about you everyday, as I do with Sasuke and Shisui and Mikoto-san and Mama and Papa. I miss everything we were, everything I had and took for granted. The world seems so cold now and it hurts to breathe already, though that might just be dangerous levels of carbon monoxide in my apartment. The poem? I suppose I can write it our, but don't be surprised if there are ink smudges on the paper because of my tears. Stupid, stupid tears. _

**_Empty playgrounds and lonely swingsets seem to cry,_**

**_the world unforgiving as it passes me by._**

**_Sorrows untold behind ebony eyes, _**

**_the red tears revealing truth behind lies._**

**_Laughter and flowers bloom in unison,_**

**_children greedily wasting the minutes away until there are none_**

**_You once promised us we'd spend the future together,_**

**_yet now I see we are not birds of a feather. _**

**_Love unbound as we take each breath for granted, _**

**_surprised and unwilling when fate rips innocence away, the world disenchanted. _**

**_Sweet bitter words fill the open air, _**

**_entangling the survivors who were never there. _**

**_Now it seems the world will pass us by,_**

**_and still I sit and stare at the lonely slides, _**

**_still I remain and join the swings and cry._**

_I miss you Itachi, no matter what kind of monster you appear to be. _

_Ama_

**Is it pathetic that I cried while writing this? I started to write Shisui's death, but I cried too much on that one; turns out I got attached to the moments the trio shared in my head. I can put that chapter in as an extra if you guys would like, but only if I get a very nice 'please' from because she loves me. (You DO, don't you?) The next few chapters won't be so sad, though there will be some angst in them. Let me know what ya think kiddies!**


	10. Shisui

Red eyes glimmered in the late afternoon light, the young Uchiha's face perfectly composed as he remembered the times he and his two friends had spent together in this place. It hurt his pride to realize how soft he'd gotten regarding the younger but taller girl, yet Itachi couldn't bring himself to care enough to prevent or reverse it; after all, it was unlikely that he and Ama would ever meet again. His eyes returned to their normal dark grey as a familiar chakra approached him and Itachi stiffened, the sorrow threatening to drag him under as Shisui drew ever closer to his death.

Shisui's eyes flashed dangerously as he caught sight of his younger cousing and best friend, unable to mask his anger as the heir to the clan refused to attend the clan meeting to discuss the coup d'état. Itachi turned to look at the older boy, his face hard and unreadable as the warm light turned to gold and cloaked the ground in its fiery warmth, signalling the end drawing near for one more day, and one more life. The river rumbled lazily, the only sound in the deafening silence as the two Uchiha's faced off. "Why?" was all Shisui could ask as his voice trembled, the betrayal now evident in his eyes upon the realization at what was going to happen.

"To bring peace to the village and its inhabitants, I will do anything," Itachi replied coolly, his cold mask dropping for a moment and revealing the young boy who did not want to hurt those he loved that sat at his core, resting and locked away until the deed was done. They said nothing more as the two shinobi jumped into action, Itachi mereley defending himself as they battled to the death. Shisui's eyes flickered red as he dove forward, a kunai in hand as he strove to injure the other boy, but to no avail. Itachi dodged and knocked the kunai out of his cousin's hand, his eyes already in their cold sharingan state as he carefully watched the other's movements and looked for a pattern in the attacks. They danced and wove in a ballet that would leave one dead and the other broken inside as Itachi and Shisui fought for what they believed to be just and true, and Itachi hissed as Shisui's blade sliced through the skin on his ribs, yet the wound was not deep enough to do any damage.

He readjusted his footing and finally attacked Shisui, never touching the boy and that's when the older Uchiha realized what was happening: Itachi, who had always had greater stamina, intended to exhaust him and then kill him. Shusui felt the fear begin to take root within his soul and faltered, giving Itachi the chance to make his move. He attacked him and shoved his head under the water, earning a look of utter betrayal from his cousin as the older boy began to stop struggling. Itachi released his hold on Shisui and allowed him to lift his head, gasping for air though he knew the battle had already been won, and he was the loser.

Shisui laid his head down on Itachi's lap, accepting his death and merely smiling at his younger cousin sadly. "Take care of yourself, and Ama too, Itachi. Tell her I'm sorry that we never made up, and that I didn't mean any of what I said. I loved her, you know." Shisui closed his eyes, the smile turning bitter as he grasped the kunai at his waist and handed it to his friend. "Even now I can't defeat you, and even knowing what you're going to do to the clan... How utterly like me to put my selfish desires before what needs to be done," he whispered quietly as he opened his now-ebony eyes and looked at his friend, his eyes soft. "Goodbye, Itachi, and make sure our deaths aren't in vain."

Itachi stiffled a sob as he moved and held Shisui's face under the water, apologizing as the minutes passed and life left the boy, leaving only an empty shell. The Uchiha cried and pushed his body into the swift waters tinted purple and gold as the light faded in a glorious harmony of color. He sat by the rushing waters until the light faded completely and gave way to the inky black expanse that blankets the sky when night falls and let the tears fall until he had none left to cry. Itachi smiled bitterly and stood, whispering a single verse from one of Ama's poems into the dark, hoping that Shisui would hear him somehow.

"When night falls and the whispering voices come,

will you still think of me after dusk?

Can you bring yourself to sing my name into the empty air,

even after my betrayal?

Forgive me and rest in peace,

and know your ghost will forever haunt my dreams."

**I ended up re-writing it simply because the original was a bit much right now, but look for updates because once it is perfect, I will replace this.**


	11. Chapter 8

"...And thusly, I have come to the conclusion that all humans will die not because it is natural, but because we BELIEVE it to be natural, a part of the cycle that we accept at birth," a young man with large glasses finished, grinning excitedly as though he had made a break through in science. The red-haired sensei sighed with irritation before thanking the student and calling forth the next speaker, his grey eyes scanning the room hopelessly as he took in the apprehension of each student; if this was how his speech classes were going to act for the rest of his career, he might as well resign now. His eyes lingered on a caramel-haired girl with pale skin and striking aqua eyes who always sat alone in a corner while doodling away and he shook his head as he recalled her being a part of his class, unable to grasp why she was so hard to remember; it took seeing her to place a name with the face, and seeing her name on paper to recall even something that simple to remember.

Ama stared and sighed with irritation as she waited for her name to be called, the doodles on her paper turning into a small cartoon in which she hit the sensei in the head with a ball and he exploded into a thousand sticks of dango, much to her amusement. Their assignment was to take a major event from their lives and turn it into a lesson that could enlighten others and perhaps enhance the outlooks they had on life; Ama had taken multiple from throughout her seventeen years of life and managed to create a theme, one that was both depressing and crucial to understanding her general attitude and outlook on the world.

It had been six years since she had seen Itachi, and six years since she had received any word from him. The young woman had grown to be beautiful and intelligent, yet she was so easily forgotten to those that she had met since her days in Konohagakure and she had found that she preferred being forgotten to being remembered. "Amaterasu," her sensei called out, earning a sigh as the girl rose from her seat and walked to the front of the room gracefully, her long lashes veiling her sad eyes from the judgemental stares of her peers as she struggled to open her mouth.

"From the time I was young, I had wanted to be a kunoichi to please my parents. I was neither strong nor fast and I did not have accurate enough aim to be trusted with a kunai or a shuriken. I hailed from a small family of unknown shinobi; my parents were chunin whose resourcefulness was the only attribute that had impressed anyone, but they were kind and affectionate. However, I returned home one day and found that they were not there despite the mission having been completed and I had seen some of their teammates at the academy. I waited three days for them to return, but they never did. I received a visit from the hokage and was informed of their deaths, and so I immediately quit the academy and I rarely saw the friends I had made after that.

"I was an outcast to the civilian children because I hailed from a family of ninjas and had attended the academy, and I was a disgrace to the shinobi children because I lacked the will to fight. Eventually, I forced myself to move on and have nearly forgotten my parents' faces," a lie, an ugly lie that refused to show itself in her expression, her eyes veiled by her long bangs and thus not revealing the truth; the loneliness, the sorrow, the heartbreaking silence that threatened to consume her sanity every day when she returned to an empty home. "I survived without assistance from others, withstanding their pity and refusing to bow to authority if I did not feel they had earned it. Years passed and I befriended a boy from a powerful family; his mother became my mother, his brother became my brother. He was more precious to me than my every breath and I realized too late that I had loved him. His best friend and I became close as well after I was nearly burned to death in a forest fire," that tragic fire that continued to terrorize her, the flames that had stripped her bones of flesh and seemed to continue to burn within her, "and he committed suicide months after I had left the village; the pressure of being a prodigy proved to much for him. Slowly my world collapsed around me and I eventually lost all contact with my former life. The lesson that has been repeated over and over again is quite simple: to fear the world is to fear the dark because even when your eyes are shut, your back is turned, every light is on and you're surrounded by friends, it is always there, lurking in the corner, in the closet, behind your eyelids and in their hearts. Fear nothing and prepare yourself for the future and you may live to tell a tale or two," she finished quietly, her voice ringing in the heads and hearts of the students in the room with her as they gazed with sudden awe at the strange girl who they couldn't recall having ever paid attention to.

The red-haired sensei nodded his head and continued and eventually everyone began to forget her story, began to forget the quiet girl who sat alone in the corner and scribbled on paper.

"UFAGU eh? Wonder if they're all rich kids whose parents paid their ways in? What do you think, Itachi?" Crimson eyes glimmered as they turned to their partner, a dark foreboding seeming to reach into the older man's soul and threaten to tear his deepest secrets out by force, nearly sending a shiver down his spine. Itachi turned away, his only reply a nearly inaudible, 'hn' as they continued to journey to the school. The tall man with blue skin and hair of the same color but darker grinned, revealing his sharp teeth as they journey in silence as he lazily carried his monstrous sword Samehada on his back.

The two Akatsuki members were feeling rather apprehensive as they approached the elite school, both unwilling to saunter into an area so heavily guarded for such a seemingless worthless target: a rich boy whose parents owed the organization quite a bit of money for an assassination job carried out by the zombie duo. Itachi allowed his mind to wander for a moment, curious as to whether or not he would see that girl again, the same one who had managed to drag the child inside of him out without any effort on her part...

Ama slumped in the chair at the desk located in her small apartment, content to have finally completed the mountain of homework her sensei's had assigned and was eager to relax after the long day. She peeked an eye open and stared at an innocent-looking journal she kept on the desk for several long minutes before sighing and grabbing a pen and flipping the book open. Channeling her chakra into her hands and then the paper, the blank pages were suddenly filled with the letters that would never be sent, turning them into a twisted sort of diary, one that she couldn't abandon no matter how many times she tried to tear herself from it.

She began to write, filling a page with the details of her day, her thoughts on conversations overheard and the lessons taught, and finally asking the questions that would never be answered. The woman stopped writing and sealed the words away once more, ensuring that a nosy intruder would be unable to delve into her darkest secrets and uncover her motives for studying so hard and acting so shy, not that anyone would dare enter the home of the girl who was always being forgotten. Her soft caramel hair fell over her shoulders as the child stood and stretched lazily, excited at the prospect of relaxing the next night in town when all the other students would depart the following evening and spend their holidays at their parents' and friends' homes, some to not return at all.

She had finally done it; her six years of schoolwork and lonely nights during times when she should have been out with friends was finally complete and she would be able to leave the wretched place. Ama glared with piercing eyes at the clock on the wall that was silently telling her to prepare for bed, tempted to defy it and stay up late willingly for the first time since she had begun to cease having nightmares. She sighed in defeat and gathered her clothes, suddenly eager to bathe and relax with a book before laying down and entered her small bathroom, completely unaware of the dangers that would await her awakening come morning.

Itachi awoke early as he always did, sparing a single glance at his sleeping partner in their shared room in the overpriced inn just outside the campus gates. They had agreed this would be the most opportune place to rest for the night; behavioral patterns of the average young teen showed that the target was unlikely to attempt to leave early in the morning, and if he did, they had already grown acquainted with his chakra signature, as pathetic as it was, and were fully capable of tracking him and preventing him from escaping their clutches. The Uchiha's sharingan eyes were deactivated and he felt strangely restless as he tried to remember something disconcerting that he had encountered the previous evening, a stray face that he couldn't place a name to, signaling it was no one of importance, but yet had recognized and been unable to picture even a moment after disappearing from sight.

He was unaccustomed to being forgetful and instinct told him that this was a result of a fuinjutsu, one that he was unable to recognize. Itachi sighed and walked outside in the early morning, disregarding the chakra signatures around him as the town began to awaken from its slumber. He wandered lazily, in an uncharacteristically good mood as he wandered the town in hopes of entertaining himself before his loud partner awoke. An out-of-place chakra signature approached him, strong compared to the weaklings around it and he turned in time to see the face he couldn't recall from yesterday, the long caramel hair cascading gracefully down her shoulders as she moved. Ama did not see the stares she was receiving as the town's inhabitants looked at her as though this was the first time they were seeing her, already accustomed to the peculiar looks she would receive. Itachi stared in awe as the woman moved silently, almost gliding across the land as she walked to a quiet cafe not far from where he stood, and that's when he realized that this girl had managed to stop him in his tracks effortlessly, much like... No, he would never forget Amaterasu, not for a single moment. This strange woman was simply a powerful fuinjutsu user and would receive no more attention from him.

Nonetheless, he followed her into the shop and ordered a green tea as she sipped a cappuccino quietly, her regal appearance simplified by the plain clothes she wore on her lithe frame. Ama chose to ignore the man following her; after all, he would not remember her as soon as she slipped out of sight. It was simple to evade perverts with her seal of concealment and she rather enjoyed the peace day after day, ignoring the moments where she felt unhappy as people she thought potential friends forgot her as soon as she was gone.

'A gift and a curse,' she thought quietly to herself as she enjoyed the warm beverage in the peace of the cool morning. Ama smiled bitterly and left the shop, striding confidently into a busy section of the marketplace with Itachi hot on her trail. He followed her quietly until the short girl slipped between a throng of people and vanished from sight. He glanced about as he looked for a familiar face and was surprised to find that he could not remember hers at all, much to his disappointment. He returned to the room as Kisame stepped out of the bathroom, a wide grin on the taller man's face as he stared into the cold eyes of the Uchiha. "Who pissed you off? Want me to remove a limb?" he asked, his eyes wide with bloodlust. Itachi simply shook his head, unwilling to explain his conundrum or why that girl mattered.

"You can't hide it forever, Itachi-san, so you might as well tell me now," the man stated, giving an amused chuckle at the thoughtful expression on his partner's face.  
"There... is a fuinjutsu user here, a powerful one. Whoever it is has made their face impossible to be memorized; I forgot their appearance almost as soon as they left my sight," he replied finally, earning a raised eyebrow from his partner. "A low-profile being kept in a place where status is everything? Think there's a large bounty on this one?"

Itachi shook his head in confusion, his brows knitted together in confusion. "No, I feel as though this individual... Is a personal case, one that pertains to me."  
Kisame nodded his head and set about to gather their few belongings that lay about the room, or rather, his as Itachi kept everything important to him on his person and would never make a mess or allow his belongings to be strewn about when there was a distinct possibility that they might have to leave without notice. This little field trip to a big school might turn out to be more interesting than he origninally thought.

Amaterasu grinned coldly at her perfect test scores, the brightness of her smile not reaching her eyes as she realized unhappily that she had no idea what to do from this point on; she had no one to return to, nowhere to return to, and no personal references. She was honestly alone and it scared her to realize that for the first time in her life, she was lost and had no guide to assist her. She threw her report card into her small bag and returned to her apartment to wash up before she would go into town and enjoy some of the sweets the bakery sold. Soon she was clean and refreshed and, in a spur of the moment idea, grabbed her journal and left the apartment.

Itachi and Kisame looked up as they waited for their meals to arrive; the target had been captured without hindrance and they had agreed to eat before they set out for the base once more. Coming through the doors was a small frame with long, wavy brown hair and clear aqua eyes, a face too beautiful to be forgotten, yet the woman's eyes seemed to see through everyone around her and soon many of the patrons in the building had forgotten she had even entered. The two s-class shinobi shared a cold look as they glanced at the girl who pointedly ignored them: that girl was definitely a fuinjutsu master. They stood and approached her table cautiously, unwilling to startle her too bad lest she have some sort of deadly offensive seal on her. Amaterasu was startled by the two men who were cornering her and knew that her seal of forgetfulness would backfire if these two men decided to do anything... rash.

She glared at the blue man who only grinned back and then chanced a look at the other one, the quieter one, and gasped. Before her stood a very-much grown up Uchiha Itachi and he obviously could not recognize her. Ama choked back a yell of joy as the two men seated themselves across and next to her, signaling the waitress to bring them their plates which were just arriving at their now-vacant table. "Care to explain the concealment seal? Or the forgetfulness seal?" Kisame began as Itachi stared apathetically at the girl, still trying to place her significance with his past. Ama shook her head, her hands twitching in fear as the large figure glared darkly at the small woman.

"I do it... So I do not have to form bonds with others," she whispered suddenly, startling herself. "I have lost too many people who were far too dear to me to allow it to happen again."

Itachi took her journal suddenly and forced his chakra through it, not hesitating as he opened to the first page.

_Dear Itachi,_  
_You still haven't replied to me, I wonder why that is. Have you gone and gotten yourself killed? No, you're far too strong, too intelligent for that. Ignore this, not that you're going to get it._  
_Ama_

_Dear Itachi,_  
_Do you remember me? It's been a week since I last wrote, so I assume that you do. It's lonely here..._

Every journal, every entry was a letter addressed to him and Itachi felt some form of selfcontrol in him shatter as he looked up into the clear aqua gaze that belonged to the one person he swore he'd never forget but would never again contact.

"Ama."

**Whew! Ama and Itachi are finally reunited! But what'll happen next? REVIEW TIME CAUSE I LOVE !**

**YOUR REVIEWS!**

_**I'm crying. This was so sad! Oh! Oh, post the chapter you were talking about! Pleeeaasee! Nyahahahahahaa- Oh, and I do love you! We are now friends! Nyahaha- *cough* Hm, thank you for chapter 8. I liked it very much. I LOVED reading this. Update soon!**_

_**Sorry I couldn't review earlier. I'm on vacation so wifi is hard to find.**_  
_** Aanyway, watermelon candy is green because the outside of watermelon is green. We color fruit candy based on the outside look, not the in.**_  
_** Great chapter. What ever happened to the wolf?**_

_**Oops. I'm on vacation so wifi is hard to find, otherwise I'd have updated my review by now.. Hmm, now; your chapters are amazing, as always... If we colored fruit candies by the inside, apple would be peach colored, and watermelon'd be red. I love you to. And, please update soon! Nyahahahahaaa.**_

**1) I am sorry about the late-ness of this reply, and 2) LET THEM BE JUDGED BY THEIR DELICIOUS INTERNAL ORGANS!**

**I hope I haven't disappointed you! Where are you vacationing? I'm so jealous cause I can't go anywhere cause I have to woooooooork! I think you mean the antelope cause the wolf stays with her. Ama decided to change the animal, no big deal. YAY FOR AWESOME FRIENDS! THIS IS THE HAPPIEST DAY IN MY FANFICTION CAREER! All what, week, two weeks of it?**

**Nighty night!**


	12. I AM SO FAWKING SORRY

**I AM SO FAWKING SORRY!**

**In my defense, I have been working, been sick, preparing for school, and making sure my father isn't miserable (marital issues, hope things work out). THE NEWEST CHAPTER SHOULD BE UP VERYYYYYYY SOON MY CHILDREN! LIKE TOMORROW SOON! **

**Also, I will be able to do more stuff with the chapters now that I have my school lappie back and thusly have access to Microsoft word (I have been writing EVERYTHING on notepad! THE HORROR!) **

**Patience, my duckies. I have a new follower! Please say hello to our dear new duckie nathy155! HELLO MY YOUTHFUL DUCKIE!**

**It's review tiiiiime!**

__- _"YAY! Ama and Itachi are together again _  
_*cue 'If We Ever Meet Again' by Katy Perry and some other dude music*_  
_I've been waiting for this day. Oh, and you aren't disappointing. Some fanfictions of young itachi are taking months between their updates *coughAnotherLight:TheStoryOfAyaecough*_

_Oh, I was vacationing in Orlando, Florida.. I'm back home now (otherwise it'd take 3 more days to review/reply).._  
_Update soon!"_

**I am very happy to hear that you like it! But no! No Katy Perry! Give me metal, screamo, j-rock, dubstep, and ramen or give me DEATH!**

**Not really, I kinda have to live in order to write. But you get my poooiiiiint!**

**I lurve yew all!**


	13. Chapter 9

Amaterasu had once tried to kill herself.

She had been alone in her empty house, had just finished packing her toys and was preparing to be escorted to her new home when she found her parent's wedding album.

Their smiling faces… her grandparents beaming proudly at the camera while holding the newly weds…

The happiness… without her, moments stolen away…

They pissed her off.

She raised the book and threw it against a mirror.

Glass shattered.

Shards scattered.

Blood stained the carpets as Ama boldly moved over the broken mirror and grabbed a large piece, a sad smile pulling her lips up bitterly as the bit cut into her skin.

She held the shard to her throat, but wondered about how effective it would be. Surely she'd just bleed until someone came in and found her? They'd try to save her, and she'd be in agony the whole time. What if they DID save her? She would just be locked away.

Ama lowered the glass and held it to her wrist, putting very little pressure on it.

No, this would hurt too much and take too long.

Chemicals sat untouched beneath her sink, but which ones would succeed? No, poison wouldn't do either; many would take far too long before someone came in and found her hunched over in pain. Speaking of which…

She glanced down at her cut feet and frowned, taking in the bloody stains on the previously clean floors. Sighing in resignation, she grabbed a medical kit from under her bed and began to tend to her feet, cleaning them and bandaging them the best she could, ignoring the stinging sensation of the cleansing alcohol.

Her face burned in shame: despite her lack of motivation regarding a future as a shinobi, Amaterasu was the daughter of two nin who had given their lives in combat to complete their mission, and the countless other faceless ninja who had sacrificed themselves in order to bring peace to the land would never forgive her for throwing away so carelessly what they had ripped away violently. Dropping the shard on the ground, Ama began to clean up the mess and welcomed the ache in her feet as she moved, purposely stepping on harder objects so that she might impart a bit of wisdom upon herself: life was precious, and each day is a victory in and of itself, carelessly tossing it aside would do nothing but prove her unworthy and ungrateful.

Ama stared at her old friend in wonder, torn between multiple conflicting emotions as she beheld his apathetic eyes. She felt overjoyed to see him alive and well, even the knowledge that he was now an S-class missing nin and notorious member of Akatsuki would not deter her from the satisfaction that a single piece from her past remained, the last thread that connected her to a world where she was loved and respected.

At the same time, she felt angry and betrayed that he had not contacted her at all and even though she was well aware of the danger she might have been placed in had he remained involved in her life, Amaterasu was pissed that this man, this _barbarian _had the nerve to look her so calmly in the eyes and not even greet her, simply _acknowledge_ her as though she were a nuisance pet whom he simply could not be rid of.

And then there was the fear: he had killed his family, so what was preventing him from doing the same to her? Though she had assumed he had a valid reason for the massacre seeing as how Itachi had always hated mindless violence, it did nothing to quell her instinctive fear of him. She had lived for six years without him and had even grown accustomed to the loneliness of her new life, so why was he present?

Her heart fluttered.

Would he keep his age-old promise and retrieve her, whisk her away from her dull life of solitude and remind her of the sense of determination she had felt as a child, insist on her living her life to the fullest rather than wasting away as a spectator?

"Ne, Itachi-san, if we dawdle here too long, leader will be rather upset. The boy needs to be under constant supervision and we're already in trouble if word gets out that we were recognized, so let's kill the girl and…" he stopped after seeing the dark glare the Uchiha had thrown him, baffled by the sudden uncharacteristic concern in his partner's obsidian eyes.

"Akatsuki, Itachi? Have you changed so much that you have willingly subjected yourself to a life of violence and crime? You know," she began, turning to the intimidating tall man beside her, "I remember a time when Itachi fought against people from groups like yours, insisting that the crimes they committed, the violence that he abhorred so much in which they thrived in," a coy smile as her perfectly red lips closed around a sweet dumpling, the heavy black lashes concealing her cat-like eyes as she enjoyed her treat, "was the bane of mankind and those who took part in the acts were scum. Oh how the mighty have fallen."

He clenched his jaw, ignoring the seething aura around the shark-like man and choosing instead to try to remind himself why it was best that she think he truly HAD stooped to this level willingly.

She laughed bitterly at the two men before her, the young fuinjutsu mistress closing her eyes as she stood and gracefully climbed over the table, leaving money where she had been seated.

"Once upon a time," Amaterasu began as she glanced back towards her once-dear friend, "once upon a time I would have loved this, would have greeted you happily and hugged you upon seeing your face. I would have followed you to the ends of the earth and done so happily, but now," her smile faltered here and she had to breathe deeply to calm herself. "Now I feel nothing but sympathy for you, the man who once upon a time was kind and gentle, sweet in every manner and had accepted his role in our great masquerade valiantly, and yet, that sympathy has been…. Overridden by…. Contempt.

"I loathe you, Uchiha Itachi, for throwing away what you should have treasured, for destroying the people I had grown to love and whom had become a makeshift family to me. I wish nothing but death and despair upon you, and yet," the men held their breaths as she spoke softly to them, her words caressing the mind as softly as a lover's touch. "And yet, I hate myself more for holding you in the light in which I have for the past six years, for continuing to love you as I once did and even wishing you would come to me and explain _why._

"But I suppose," a forced laugh, "that this is partially my fault as well. Uchiha Itachi, I wish to never see your face again."

**DON'T KILL ME !**

**I have been struggling with writer's block and right now should be asleep like a good child, but I decided to give you this present!**

**Now, Ama is no longer a sweet-tempered, level headed child: she's a big girl who has been struggling for the past six years to achieve an unknown goal, and so the story will now take an angsty turn. She will not run into Itachi's arms as so many fanfictions depict, and they will not hump like rabbits. It will be a while before the romance kicks in, so be prepared. As for plot, I know most stories end one of three ways: him dying and her living on, her dying for whatever reason shortly before or after, or, and this is generally only with very BOLD authors, he somehow lives on and the heroine and him live happily ever after.**

**I hate happy endings.**

**I also hate predictability, so watch for weird and random twists.**

**Prepare your anuses my darling ducklings, for they are going to get pounded by the literary horse penis and not the limp-noodle dolphin penis.**

**Forgive my dirty fingers, I am sleepy and grumpy.**

**Goodnight, and I LOVE YOU!**


	14. Chapter 10

Six years. Six long, agonizingly lonely years had passed since the two polar opposites had stood face-to-face and Itachi was just realizing how much the energetic and happy girl from his childhood had changed; it broke his dormant heart to look into her now empty eyes and see the angry bitterness intertwined with loneliness.

The hatred so clearly shimmering in the darkening depths of her eyes, the portals to the soul housed within the young body startled him, sent chills down his spine as he realized how much he had lost with the death of his clan; even the one person who had promised to love and always forgive him, although the affection was not the same as once he had held for her, stabbed him in the depths of his cavernous heart, so achingly empty in the absence of friends and family.

It broke him to know how much the young woman hated him, shattered his heart to realize the depth of her contempt for the man he had become, yet Itachi was well aware of the sacrifices that would be made when he accepted that damned mission.

"Beg for forgiveness _girl_, and maybe I won't drag out your death," Kisame growled at the brave woman before him, gripping Samehada in warning as she glared at him.

"Brave man to challenge a woman whose mastery of fuinjutsu is such that she can act on it without hand seals and use voice alone to summon the very monsters you fear."

_Slice._

A muffled scream.

_Clang._

A blocked attack.

Beady black clashed with the apathetic obsidian heavily guarded by thick lashes, their respective owners silently challenging one another.

A sigh.

Kisame replaced Samehada and grinned darkly at the paralyzed woman, ignoring the sobs of a stranger who had been watching the two men patronize the beautiful and mysterious young lady before them. "Say, what's your relationship with her, Itachi-san? This girl," he motioned toward Amaterasu lazily, "obviously doesn't respect you, so why defend her?"

Itachi blinked and allowed his gaze to slowly turn on his former friend, his dark eyes not quite seeing the girl, sending shivers down her spine. "She… once was precious to me. Perhaps it is… the remainder of my… sense of humanity that has allowed her to… speak so arrogantly, so haughtily and allowed… her to remain in this world. However," he added, narrowing his eyes dangerously, "should we meet again Amaterasu, I will… _kill_ you and be all the happier for it. You are… disposable, unwanted and unneeded in this world of… shinobi and power.

"There are many occurrences that as of yet you… are unaware of and perhaps it is better that you should remain ignorant… of the reasons behind my actions. No, you… have no choice but to give in to me, for you… are weak, delicate and easily broken in a world that is unforgiving and relentless… in its attacks as it strives to destroy… that which men have sought to create."

Amaterasu stared into his eyes, her own intermittent sorrow seeping through the gaps of the walls in which she had enclosed her heart, trapping her soul and protecting it from the open cruelty of the journey of life.

"Men… create nothing, only use destruction to further heighten the pedestal on which they have placed themselves. Whatever your reason behind your choices, Itachi," she gave a small, sad smile directed not at the man on the outside, but the boy lying dormant within him, "whatever your motive to continue on this path, remember to look away if you see me, for it is better if we forget each other, forget the people who once we were… if only for a short time, and despite the unpleasantness of the situation, I am glad to have seen you again, to have been defended once more by you, for it means that somewhere within is the boy I adore and admire. Goodbye, Itachi of the Mangekyou Sharingan. I pray that we never meet again."

The entire restaurant watched her leave and with her departure only traces of a memory, the shattered glass and forgotten weapon embedded into a wall, though Itachi faintly recalled the girl as having been extremely important to him.

"Say, Itachi-san, that fuinjutsu… is powerful. I think whoever that girl is, she left this for you."

The Uchiha turned to see what his partner had been referring to and was almost startled to see the journal, the black leather glistening dully in the bright lights of the building. He took it and opened the book, pieces of their encounter coming back with a rush as he began to read the entries, all unsent letters addressed to him.

_Dear Itachi,_

_It's been a while, but I still wonder about you, worry about the man you are becoming. Akatsuki, Itachi? I thought you didn't approve of crime, but then again, you did kill your family._

_I wonder if you would recognize me, remember me despite my seals, accept me as easily as you once did. Your strange Sharingan, it's called the Mangekyou, right? I spent part of my holidays in the Uchiha library in the compound where Uchiha Madara had once resided and found a book of a fourth level of the doujutsu and I must say, I don't think it would be worth the sacrifice. Kill the person who is closest to you? I suppose that explains Shisui's death, but what about the people who were left behind?_

_Once again though, you did kill everyone but me and Sasuke. The third hokage sometimes sends me pictures and updates on him and boy is he a handful. Apparently he graduated top of his class and was placed on the same team as the kyuubi jinchuriki and the daughter of the Harunos. He'll do well under the instruction of Hatake Kakashi, the copy cat nin._

_Hey Itachi, do you remember me? Do you ever think about me, about Shisui and the moments we shared together? I really miss you, or rather, I miss who you were before you left. I'm sure you have changed, become stronger and colder as the years have passed._

_So have I._

_-Ama_

Entry after entry tugged at his heart strings as he read about the mundane problems of her life; the students who had harassed her and drove her into the study of fuinjutsu, the boys who had caught her eye but she knew wouldn't remember her even if she approached them.

The mistress of fuinjutsu… the shadowy figure who had forced the memories of a warm, loving girl to surface…

She was the cold remains of the sunny child with a bright future, his personal godsend in a time that had left him scarred by the greed of his elders. Amaterasu had been the flickering flame in his dark heart, the embodiment of the black fires that would greedily consume all in its path until naught but ashes and a memory of what once was remained.

Amaterasu had grown cold, the warmth leaving her gaze and leaving in its stead a bitter ice that would control the tempest flames of Itachi's long forgotten soul; if Amaterasu, the black flame, reflected her childhood persona, then the girl herself was now Yuki-onna, the snowy wanderer who would leave frozen corpses in her wake.

And yet, he could not help but feel sympathy for this frozen young woman; she had closed off her heart to the world before she had ever truly begun to live and would suffer the consequences of her decision. "Come Kisame, we must leave."

Grinning carelessly, the large man followed his partner as he pushed the memory of the girl to the back of his mind.

Amaterasu watched them leave with the boy, her classmate who had been amongst those to harass her in the beginning. It crossed her mind to help him but she decided against it; interacting with them would do nothing but render her jutsu completely useless as Itachi would most likely not let her out of his sight again.

"How cruel fate is to reunite two thirds of a broken friendship whilst knowing that the final piece is no more. And to think that _he_ expected _me_ to be _courteous,_ _kind_ and _compassionate_ without a _shred_ of anger for the violent acts of hatred _he_ committed. Yet," she whispered aloud, her voice tinged with a bitter regret, "I do not despise him, quite the opposite: I wish that he would look at me and apologize, explain, say that everything is alright… I wish that I could forgive him, but how can I when he took for granted what I so dearly needed, wanted and lost before I could comprehend the sheer dependence I had for my family?"

Bile rose and tears swam as Amaterasu sat and watched the two men depart, both strangers in their own rights. Itachi turned, feeling the eyes on him and let his gaze meet the watery eyes of his dearest friend, former companion, and the object of his desires. The thought occurred to him that maybe, just maybe, he could convince her to join them, but a single look at the tattered soul behind her expressive eyes reminded him of her departing words, so easily forgotten and he forced himself to gracefully turn and walk away.

The smile felt acidic to the woman and though her nails dug deeply into her skin, drawing precious blood, she could not feel the physical pain, did not acknowledge the disappearing light; how could she when the man she had dreamed of for so long had turned out to be nothing but a hollow shell of his former self?

It was her turn to watch him walk away, her turn to feel the regrets and guilt tear her to pieces from the inside, leaving only the confusion and sorrow to run her body.

Ama's home was empty, devoid of personality just as it had been in Konohagakure, though here she didn't allow the faded photos to taint the walls, refused to even glance at the photo album that sat in the dusty corner of her book case. The many text books and novels littered the home similar to how furniture and mail, personal items and occasionally trash would litter another, happier person's home: they were everywhere.

Her novel, The Floating City, had been published two years prior and a single hardbound copy sat on a chair, the pages untouched by her tainted fingers as the days wore on. It hadn't been a huge success; many critics claimed it to be too abstract and based on a feminist ideal that had not appealed to most consumers, and yet those who had appreciated it had been writing to her, begging for the young woman to continue her work.

They would be devastated to realize that Amaterasu's newest novel was completely different from her previous work: it was an angst story based on the struggles of a monster in human form who struggled with its identity in the world. No romance, no love and happiness, just the grim outlook on the world as the main character danced through her life, unabashedly flaunting her superiority and arrogantly destroying the world order, though she had lost her memory as to _why_ she acted in such a manner.

In truth, Amaterasu had felt very similar to the main character; perhaps it was truly the embodiment of the personality the years and fates had cursed her with, given a new name and face as well as power in the form of literature.

_Jingle_.

A flash of black nearly startled her.

_Nearly_.

Gold eyes gazed up at her warmly, the large cat purring in contentment as it rubbed its massive head against the woman's leg.

"Soot," she greeted softly patting the kitten's nearly grown head affectionately, earning a purr from the animal who sat and begged for supper. Less than a year ago, a snowstorm had found its way into the small town, bringing with it a pride of the Icelandic snow monsters whose migratory habits only concerned following the icy tempests and a single cat had been spotted without a moment's hesitation: rather than the white fur with either pale or dark blue spots, depending on the gender, a single black kitten had made the attempt to hunt with its family and had instead nearly been killed by the locals. Ama had found the creature injured and bleeding on the steps outside the school library and had thrown caution to the wind, instinctively acting as she had done when she was a child and saved the miserable creature from its imminent demise.

She had not been trusted at first, though she had not given her trust either. The two had sat and sized one another up, the cat hissing angrily at its savior and Ama had hissed right back, asserting her dominance in that manner. They would not eat around each other, would not sleep and certainly did not turn their backs on the other; in short, each made the other's life hell.

Ama's previous temporary guests had all been grateful to her, warm and friendly towards the happy girl, but the cat was not. It was a predator and instinctively regarded the small woman as prey, yet here the other was trying to keep it alive.

Eventually both came to terms with their current living situation and began to go about their lives, and the day came when Amaterasu was prepared to accompany the newly-healed beast back to the wild, but it had refused to leave, recognizing the ease in which it could survive with the girl whereas in the wild, the beast would surely die due to its odd coloration.

They had bickered in their own ways, but eventually Ama had smiled and given in, naming the creature Soot as she had always imagined naming a black cat, though this particular specimen was a good deal larger at such a young age than she had ever been prepared to own.

Soot had become a loving companion to the woman, chasing away all ill thoughts whilst the beast was present, and often doing the same with the mailman when he had the rare package for her.

"Are you ready to leave this place? We won't be welcome much longer, and we'll have to walk since the trains won't allow you on board. Maybe we can return to Konoha, just for a bit anyway… Then we'll go someplace cold, somewhere across the sea where we can forget this land and live comfortably. What do you say, Soot?" she asked her pet as she prepared the creature's supper: a simple concoction of leftovers, tuna, and wet cat food with chunks of meat. The great cat mewled in response, eyes intent on the feast being prepared for it.

Setting the engraved bowl on the floor, Ama grabbed a comb and began to run it through her companion's thick fur, carefully trimming some of the outer coat so that it wouldn't weigh the feline down too much, nor cause it to grow uncomfortably warm. "Pretty girl, beautiful and intelligent," Amaterasu cooed at the giant cat warmly, her voice soft and loving while directed at her former patient.

Red eyes watched her from outside the window, taking in the great form of the powerful animal and the smaller, more delicate one of the girl.

His Amaterasu.

So she had been shielding herself from him? Hiding the warmth and saving it for the monster at her side, the same creature that was well aware of his presence and had hissed angrily when its mistress had left the room to bathe.

Itachi smiled sadly, placing a single finger to his lips and darting away from the woman's home, a flurry of black unseen in the inky dark of night.

No one would prevent him from protecting Amaterasu, and nothing would stop him from seeing her throughout the remainder of his short life.

"How could I forget a face that has haunted me since I presumed her dead?"

**Confused? Surprised? Awww yeah! So, clarification regarding Itachi's last line will come within the next few chapters, but what interests me the most is how he plans on following the girl when the new twiiiiiiist (like once of those cheetoh's that taste delicious) takes place! I really prefer Amaterasu's new personality; it's easier to take her seriously.**

**Have you noticed the usage of Ama and Amaterasu? Can you tell me the basic pattern?**

**Soot is in fact a real character: my own rescued kitty is all black and treated me in a very similar manner for a few days before she came to adore me and is now fighting with my laptop over my attention.**

**She wants tuna and cream. I'm going to go give her tuna and cream.**

**Leave a review, tell me what you think!**

**PM me if you have a comment or even a request, though I probably won't act on a request if it seems to stray from my intended plot. Yes, plot. By the way, that boy doesn't matter, you can forget him. He's just gonna die.**

**Loves to my named followers and my ever-present reviewer !**

**Oh, and you unnamed lot too since you make up the majority of my readers.**


	15. Author's Note no 2

**Helloooooooooo! The next chapter will be out soon, but I want to make sure that it's not SHIIIIIT so yeah…. Anyway, it's everyone's favorite segment! REVIEW TIME MY DUCKIES!**

**To Guest Reviewer Naruto Fan, I'm thrilled to know you like it!**

** - ****_"Oops, sorry. Internet went down for a few days so-... Omfg! I was expecting her to be having a romeo juliet reunion but apparently not! *sobs*"_**

**Do not fret my fledgling, for your internet has returned! I dislike Romeo and Juliet, but yes, a reunion like that of the parted lovers is to be expected, however! Said form can go tickle its dick 'cause I refuse to allow such mushiness to muddle my plot… or somewhat plot… yeah… not gonna lie, you might hate me for what I have planned.**

**Also !- ****_"Frick. You're so unpredictable! I think she should meet up with Sasuke and he can be protective over her! (But please don't make ths an ItaxOcxSasu please) I loved it! Update soon!"_**

**Yes, unpredictability is the idea behind my writing, but there will be instances where you're like, "I saw that coming." Sasuke will eventually meet dear Ama, but once again you will haaaaaaaaaaate me for it! Actually, that'll come up soon… like… in five or six chapters… Don't worry, there is no love triangle; I dislike the idea of multiple love interests.**

**Also of interest! I am working on an Uchiha Madara love story! Or maybe it'll be Izuna's story…. Haven't decided yet.**

**Anywaaaaaaaay, I love you all! Even you non-reviewers and my ever-silent two other readers who have subscribed to my story.**

**Loves to you lot!**

**-Kiss**


	16. Another God Damn Note

I am so sorry! I sorta hit a writer's block and I have a crapton of homework and then I work on weekends (ass hole boss. I wish he'd just go get boned or something, the man needs to stop bullying me.) So yeah, Twittering Songbird is being written nooooow! I even hurried through psychology to write some stuuuuff! PLEASE DON'T BE ANGRY WITH MEEEEEEEE!


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